Roberto Diago
Bio
Roberto Diago is one of the most prominent contemporary Cuban artists, whose work addresses fundamental issues regarding identity, history, and Afro-descendant heritage in the Caribbean and global contexts.
He explores the history of the African diaspora and racism through an aesthetic marked by the use of recycled materials such as wood, metal, textiles, and found objects. These materials allow him to create works that engage with the precariousness, suffering, and historical resilience of Afro-descendants.
Diago's work spans multiple media, including painting, installation, sculpture, and multimedia art, reflecting his versatility and ability to adapt to different forms of artistic expression. Through his work, he not only examines the wounds of colonialism and racism in Cuba but also their contemporary legacy, inviting viewers to reflect on the resilience, identity, and historical struggles of Afro-descendant communities worldwide.
He has recently held major exhibitions, including a solo show at the Casa de América in Madrid, the CAJI in Fuerteventura, and the Lowe Museum in Miami. A regular figure in leading art fairs in the United States and Latin America, he has also showcased his work at the Venice, Havana, and Dakar Biennales. His works are held in renowned international collections, including the National Museum of Havana, the Deste Foundation in Athens, the Brownstone Foundation in Paris, the CIFO Collection in Florida, the Boston Fine Arts Museum, and the Jorge M. Pérez Museum in Miami, among many others.
Statement
Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy: Painter, sculptor, installation artist. Graduated from the "San Alejandro" Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. His solo exhibitions include: Diago: The Past of this Afro-Cuban Present, AMA Museum, Washington DC, 2024; Juan Roberto Diago: Foraged Materials Assembled Histories, Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Missouri, 2024; La Oscuridad fue el Principio, Casa de América, Madrid, 2023; Diago: An Art for All Times, Martinique, 2023; Testigo del Tiempo, Artizar Gallery, Tenerife, 2022; Homenaje, Villa Manuela Gallery, Havana, 2020; Diago: The Past of this Afro-Cuban Present, Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art, Harvard University, Boston, 2017.
He has participated in national and international group exhibitions, including: NDAFFA. 14th Dakar Biennale, Senegal; The Infinite Possibility. Thinking the Nation, Nothing Personal Exhibition, XIII Havana Biennial, National Museum of Fine Arts, 2019; Artes de Cuba, From the Island to the World, The John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, 2018; Inaugural Exhibition, Museum of Black Civilizations, Dakar, 2018; Time of Intuition. Viva Arte Viva, Venice Biennale, 2017; Modern Times, UNESCO, Paris, 2015.
Collections: National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana; Cernuda Arte, USA; DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art, Greece; The von Christierson’s Collection; CIFO Collection, USA; Pizzuti Collection, USA; HGN/HGN Collection, Germany; Zabludowicz Collection, England; Boston Fine Arts Museum, USA; Jorge M. Pérez Collection, USA; Museum of Black Civilizations, Dakar; Fondation Clément; María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation.
