El Pasado Mio / My Own Past

Afro-Cuban art from the 19th century to the present is examined through the work of artists whose contributions have shaped Cuban visual culture across generations. El Pasado Mío / My Own Past is on view May 1 through September 12 at the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami. The exhibition features 43 Afro-Cuban artists active from the 1820s onward, placing their work within the historical, political and socioeconomic contexts in which it was created.

The exhibition includes internationally recognized artists as well as figures who have received less attention, including a group of 11 female artists whose works are being shown together for the first time. Rather than presenting Afro-Cuban art as a single style or theme, the exhibition considers the range of approaches, materials and perspectives represented across nearly two centuries.

Originally presented in 2022 at The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art at Harvard University, the exhibition was curated by Alejandro de la Fuente in collaboration with scholars. The Lowe Art Museum presentation has been adapted by de la Fuente to include works from Miami collections.