Rodrigo Guillén

Style Description

The artist’s visual narrative focuses on Afro-Cuban traditions, bridging historical island symbolism and contemporary design. Intricate sgraffito etching, stylized figurative abstraction, human anatomies, nature forms, and sacred icons create cohesive visual architectures of resilience.

Biography & Artistic Evolution

Academic Foundations: Born in Havana in 1961. In 1987 he earned a Computer Graphic Design degree from CUJAE and completed workshops in sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. He further trained in silkscreen at San Alejandro.

Institutional Service: He joined the Cuban Association of Artists and Artisans in 1987 and the Cuban Cultural Heritage Fund in 1989, executing public design programs and woodcarving workshops.

Exile & Relocations: He worked in Cantabria, Spain, in 1992 and moved permanently to Miami in February 1998.

Current Status: He resides and works in Miami, maintaining active production.

Notable Artwork Series & Motifs

Sgraffito Line Work & Figurative Abstraction: Thin color fields etched with sharp tools form musicians, dancers, and spiritual guardians.

Volumetric Hardwood Satires & Totems: Polished tropical hardwood figures integrate Cuban woodcraft with minimalist abstraction and themes of dislocation.

Selected Exhibitions, Awards & Bibliography

2016: Troya, ArtMajeur. 1989: Saln de Aficionados, Havana. 2026–2025: Circular Reflections; Art of the Palette; Annual José Martí Art Exhibition. 1997: Distinction for Sculptural Innovation. 1992: FIART Fine Craft Prize. 2026: Catálogo: Reflexiones Circulares. 2025: Rodez, Circular Reflections: Cuban Art Documentation Project. 2021: “La Obra Plástica de Rodrigo Guillén,” Nagari Magazine.