PAINTERS from Cuba

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Cuban Painters of all time. This list of famous Cuban Painters is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Wifredo Lam (1902 - 1982)

With an HPI of 58.07, Wifredo Lam is the most famous Cuban Painter.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages on wikipedia.

Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (Chinese: 林飛龍; Jyutping: lam4 fei1lung4; December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982), better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. Inspired by and in contact with some of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Lam melded his influences and created a unique style, which was ultimately characterized by the prominence of hybrid figures. This distinctive visual style of his also influences many artists. Though he was predominantly a painter, he also worked with sculpture, ceramics and printmaking in his later life.

2. Ana Mendieta (1948 - 1985)

With an HPI of 50.74, Ana Mendieta is the 2nd most famous Cuban Painter.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Ana Mendieta (November 18, 1948 – September 8, 1985) was a Cuban-American performance artist, sculptor, painter, and video artist who is best known for her "earth-body" artwork. She is considered one of the most influential Cuban-American artists of the post–World War II era. Born in Havana, Cuba, Mendieta left for the United States in 1961. Mendieta died on September 8, 1985, in New York City, after falling from her 34th-floor apartment. She lived there with her husband of eight months, minimalist sculptor Carl Andre. The circumstances surrounding her death have been the subject of controversy.

3. Carmen Herrera (1915 - 2022)

With an HPI of 45.88, Carmen Herrera is the 3rd most famous Cuban Painter.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Carmen Herrera (May 31, 1915 – February 12, 2022) was a Cuban-born American abstract, minimalist visual artist and painter. She was born in Havana and lived in New York City from the mid-1950s. Herrera's abstract works brought her international recognition late in life.