Cuban Sculptor Esterio Segura Showcases Work in the United States

Cuban artist Esterio Segura is currently exhibiting his sculpture Hybrid of a Chrysler at the Tampa Museum of Art, a monumental piece that inspired the book-object of the same name.

With this presentation, the work will remain on display until 2027, establishing what organizers describe as a kind of “residency” that began in June 2024 and has since become an icon of both the museum and the city of Tampa.

Installed in the museum’s outdoor gallery, the piece explores the tension between the real and the imaginary. Born in Santiago de Cuba and trained at Havana’s Higher Institute of Art (ISA), Segura reimagines a 1953 Chrysler limousine as a “fantastic” vehicle by incorporating airplane wings.

As in much of his work, the sculpture serves as a metaphor for the desire for movement and the aspiration to transcend physical and social boundaries. According to The Cuban Arts Group, it reflects both Cuba’s history and universal experiences of longing and transformation.

Segura is recognized as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Cuban art. The version known as With Passport debuted at the Tampa Museum of Art in 2016 and has since traveled to cities including Venice, Washington D.C., Gainesville and Miami before returning to Tampa.

Meanwhile, the Restricted Version—which had not been shown for 20 years—is now on display at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana following a restoration process.

Hybrid of a Chrysler was also featured in the exhibition Under the Spell of the Palm: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art (February–July 2025). That project gave rise to the book-object Hybrid of a Chrysler. A Provocation to Fly, a limited edition documenting the work’s trajectory, available both at the museum and through Amazon.

The Tampa Museum of Art is also presenting Segura’s sculpture Good Bye My Love, recently acquired for its permanent collection.

Founded in 1920, the Tampa Museum of Art promotes the understanding of visual art through exhibitions and educational programs that span from antiquity to contemporary creation, according to information published on tampamuseum.org.

The Cuban Arts Group, a Tampa-based nonprofit organization, supports the promotion of Cuban art and fosters international cultural exchange.