Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy

Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy (la Habana, 1971) is a leading contemporary Cuban artist, widely recognized for his work as a painter, escultor, and installation artist. Estudió en elAcademia de Bellas Artes San Alejandro en la Habana, where he currently lives and works. He is aConsulting Professor at the University of the Arts and a member of theUnión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC).

Diago’s practice is characterized by the use offound materials and a profound engagement with themes ofslavery, the African diaspora, and Afro-Cuban identity. His work transforms the scars of slavery into symbols ofresiliencia, strength, and cultural memory, revaluing silenced histories and reframing the legacy of Afro-descendant communities.

He has presentednumerous solo exhibitions in major museums and galleries across the United States, Francia, España, Alemania, y cuba. Notable shows includeLa Oscuridad fue el Principio (Casa América, Madrid), Foraged Materials, Assembled Histories (University of Missouri), yThe Past of This Afro-Cuban Present (Universidad Harvard).

Diago has also participated ininternational biennials como elBienal de Venecia, elBienal de Dakar, y elBienal de la Habana, and has been featured in projects likeArtes de Cuba at the Kennedy Center (Estados Unidos) yVisionary Aponte at Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery.

His works are held in prominentpublic and private collections, incluyendo elMuseo Nacional de Bellas Artes(la Habana), elMuseo de Bellas Artes, Bostón, elClément Foundation (Martinique), yCIFO (Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Estados Unidos).

His artistic legacy is documented inDiago: The Past of This Afro-Cuban Present, published byHarvard University Press, which underscores his role as a vital voice in the discourse on race, memoria, and art in the Caribbean and the African diaspora.