Artist Michel Mirabal Presents "You Don't Know Me," A New Exhibition in Cuba

After 15 years away from Cuban galleries, artist Michel Mirabal inaugurated his exhibition "You Don't Know Me" today at the Luz y Oficio Provincial Center of Plastic Arts and Design in the capital.

Approximately 50 pieces—including two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, alongside everyday objects transformed into symbolic artifacts—coexist within the space located in the city's historic center. Here, the artist reveals his talent across various visual arts mediums.

"It is not easy to find in Cuba an artist so versatile, with an exhibition free of prejudices where trends do not create divisions," stated Nelson Herrera Ysla, who curated the exhibition alongside Andrés Santana, during a prior press conference.

"You Don't Know Me" is organized across three levels, featuring pieces such as "Rebellion," "The Assault," "Escaping," "The Challenge," "How Do You See Yourself?," "Dependents," and "Day by Day." All works engage in a dialogue with the Cuban context, incorporating elements like machetes, balloons, pressure cookers, and an 18th-century carriage.

"I believe 'You Don't Know Me' will set a standard for how to construct a curatorial narrative and how that narrative is organized around a museographic framework that validates these very starting theses," added curator Santana.

"I am sure they did not know this type of work; I wanted to show that I do many more things, as these are 14 series spanning 30 years of my career," the artist, known as "The Painter of the Flags" for his famous homonymous series, shared with Prensa Latina regarding the exhibition's title.

Despite having several solo and collective exhibitions abroad, Mirabal paused two international projects for the opportunity to display his talent in Cuba after a 15-year absence.

"I believe the homeland always deserves to come first," added the artist, who hails from the Cayo Hueso neighborhood in the Centro Habana municipality.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 6:00 PM local time today until January 15, 2026. It will function as a community project, featuring debates, parallel activities, and meetings with art students. A catalog detailing the exhibition's creation process will be presented upon its conclusion.