Reinaldo López

Reinaldo López Hernández (Matanzas, Cuba, Octubre 28, 1934 – La Habana, Octubre 13, 2014) was a distinguishedpintor cubano, muralist, and designer, recognized as a founding member of theUnión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) and ofARCO (Contemporary Art Association) hasta 1994. Estudió en elMatanzas School of Fine Arts under the guidance of the renowned painterRoberto Diago Querol, with whom he developed a lasting friendship that deeply influenced his artistic vision.

En1953, he completed his studies, and the following year held hisfirst solo exhibition at the newly openedLa Rampa Gallery en la Habana, marking the beginning of a prolific artistic career.

His education later expanded to includeInterior Design (1968) yArchitecture, Landscaping, and Green Spaces(1970), disciplines that notably shaped his mural work and his projects integratingart with urban environments.

Throughout his life, López Hernández traveled extensively to countries such asEspaña, Francia, Alemania, Angola, México, y elRepública Dominicana, establishingcultural exchanges that enriched his creative perspective. His work is characterized by afusion of Afro-Cuban symbolism, humanism, and formal experimentation with color and texture.

Over more than five decades, he presented numerousexposiciones individuales y colectivas in Cuba and abroad, incluyendo espectáculos en elCasa de África Museum, Galería Galiano, Guayasamín House Museum, y elJosé Martí National Library.

His art was selected byUNICEF International for a series ofpostcards, and it appeared in variousart and literary publications En Cuba, México, y los estados unidos. He also designedcover illustrations for magazines such asCaribbean Review, Memoria, Fronteras, yMatanzas, consolidating his role within the Cuban graphic and editorial arts.

Among his most notablemurals areEl Monte, Canto a las Antillas, La Tierra y el Mar, yLos Habitantes del Bosque, created mainly forhotels and public spaces enla Habana, Varadero, yCienfuegos, using techniques such asindustrial ceramics, acrílico, and engraving on mortar.

He also contributed to thelandscape design deParque Lenin, Cayo Coco, and several areas of theNational Zoological Park. Following his passing, his artistic legacy has been honored through multipleretrospective exhibitions, incluidoPainting Cuban Style (2016), El Rescate: Animalia Collection (2017), yTributo: Tinta, Color, and Texture (2018), reaffirming his place as anessential figure in contemporary Cuban visual art.