Julio César García Martínez
Julio César García Martínez (Matanzas, Cuba, 1985) is a Cuban visual artist and freelance photographer based in Matanzas. He is the founder and general director of FOTOCANÍMAR – International Photography Festival of Matanzas, Cuba, an event dedicated to promoting contemporary Cuban photography and fostering artistic exchange within the region.
He graduated from the Matanzas School of Art Instructors in 2004, specializing in Visual Arts. His work has been exhibited internationally in events such as Identidad. Latin American Photography, ArtePhoto Fair (Helena Fretta Gallery, Florianópolis, Brazil, 2025); Albor, a two-person exhibition at Casa de Cultura de Arrecife (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 2024); and the International Photography Salon and Colloquium (Matanzas, 2022). He has also participated in Ríos Intermitentes, part of the 14th Havana Biennial (Matanzas, Cuba); the 26th Roberto Diago Provincial Salon of Visual Arts (Pedro Esquerré Gallery, Provincial Center for Visual Arts, Matanzas, Cuba); Looking Back: Soho Photo’s First 50 Years (Soho Photo Gallery, New York); 14th Havana Biennial (Center for the Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba, 2021); Más Q-INSTANTES. Latin American Photography Virtual Exhibition (Art Latam, USA, 2021); and the 8th Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art (Center for the Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba, 2021).
Among his solo exhibitions, highlights include Isla (artist residency Puertas Adentro–Casa de Artista, Manantiales, Uruguay, 2025); Crónicas (Galería 23 y 12, Havana, Cuba, 2022); and El Reino de Este Mundo (Soho Photo Gallery, New York, USA, 2019).
García Martínez’s work reflects a constant dialogue between identity, memory, and landscape, establishing him as one of the most active voices in contemporary Cuban photography today.
