If you’re looking for a whimsical and colorful destination to travel to, look no further than Fusterlandia! This unique town was created by Cuban artist José Fuster and is home to some of the most amazing folk art you will ever see. The best way to explore this fascinating place is by taking a guided tour. Come join us on a journey through the enchanting world of Fusterlandia!
José Fuster, a renowned Cuban artist, molded his poverty-ridden neighborhood into an idyllic world of folkloric art. His pieces are “ingenuous”, which is to say they incorporate unsophisticated, youthful shapes and colors in novice arrangements.
Fuster’s work has received comparisons to that of Picasso, he’s even been nicknamed “Picasso of the Caribbean.”
After moving into a modest wooden house in the run-down Jaimanitas neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana in 1975, Fuster set about decorating his studio with colorful mosaics. Once finished, he asked if any of his neighbors wanted him to do the same for their homes and businesses. Some agreed and Fuster began filling the premises with colorful tiles. Today, his artwork covers the neighborhood with a strange and charming fantasy rainbow.
WELCOME TO FUSTERLANDIA
Many tourists from all over the world visit Havana’s Fusterlandia every day. This secluded neighborhood is famous for its open-air community gallery where you can see Fuster’s art.
The facades, walls, benches, and bus stops of this scenic neighborhood remind us of the style with which Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí imbued the city of Barcelona, especially the “Guell Park”. It is a project with European influences but an unequivocal Cuban flavor.
An American journalist named it Fusterlandia (Fusterland), and it is by that name that everyone already knows this place turned into a community project, thanks to the ingenuity of this Cuban artist.
He began by blanketing his own bungalow with shards of colorful tile and broken pottery. Exuberant figures and lush plant life took shape, filling the surfaces of a large courtyard. Across its walls, people wave their arms in the air, as if dancing or praising the Cuban sun, while mermaids, fishermen, and a giant octopus pay tribute to the nearby ocean and its bounty. These are bounded by depictions of bursting palms, flowers, and fish, as well as more surreal details like colossal floating eyes and swooping curlicues that climb into the air, like smoke or seafoam.
The cornerstone of Fusterlandia was the entrance door, a tribute to Brancusi and the result of a wide collection of ceramics owned by the artist since the eighties when he was a well-known potter. “I told myself, why am I going to sell those pieces; I am going to put them here so that the public can look at them. From there on, I thought it would be a good idea to continue doing the same”, he explained.
References to Cuban daily life abound across the murals.
There are depictions of people playing dominoes and dancing, usually not far from renderings of the vintage cars that famously transport them around the island. Allusions to Santería, a religion mingling ancient Yoruba beliefs and Christianity, also crop up in the form of Virgin Mary figures and disembodied eyes, referring to evil eyes.
The feeling of those who visit Fusterlandia is always the same: in this Havana neighborhood, anything can be a canvas to express Fuster‘s ideas
ANYTHING CAN BE A CANVAS FOR FUSTER
“The fact that my work spilled over to the rest of the community came as a result of individual needs. A neighbor would tell me: why don’t you make me my wall, why don’t you put my name on it, and so, little by little, I was also leaving a mark on those places”.
Fuster’s work has had a transformative effect on the community he is part of. His art is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also useful, and it brings life to the town of Jaimanitas.
The artist says that all of the interventions in the homes of neighbors are free and that nobody pays for anything. He also points out that projects in the community receive subsidies from money raised through the sales of his pieces. According to him, they’ve never charged anyone to decorate part of their house or an entrance fee to visit his workshop.
The artist has high hopes for Fusterlandia, that it will not only be the biggest mural in the world but also outlive him. He dreams of other artists continuing and building upon his work after he’s gone. In 2017, he said: “I don’t think that when I die this will fall apart in three days. I think that maybe new people will come and do a better job than I did.”
Fuster’s story is one of reinvention and creativity in the face of adversity. His art has turned a dingy, impoverished neighborhood into a whimsical wonderland that attracts tourists from all over the world. If you’re looking for an interesting day trip while in Havana, be sure to check out VC Tours “Fusterlandia” tour. You won’t regret it!