The Lowe Art Museum in Coral Gables is presenting two exhibitions—"El Pasado Mío: Afrodescent Contributions to Cuban Art" and "Afrocubanismo: Highlights from the Ramon and Nerycs Cernuda Collection"—that together form the world's largest exhibition of Afro-Cuban art, on view through Sept. 12, 2026. Curated by Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente of Harvard's Afro-Latin American Research Institute, the shows feature works by Afro-Cuban artists who have been historically overlooked, alongside pieces by artists racialized as white except for Wifredo Lam, aiming to restore omissions in Cuban art history.
This exhibition matters because it directly challenges the dominant, racialized and gendered canon of Cuban art history, arguing that the European experience has eclipsed Afrodescendant contributions despite Africans outnumbering European migrants in Latin America until the late 19th century. By centering Afro-Cuban perspectives and questioning the very categories of race, the shows push for a reimagining of Latin American identity as Afro-Latin America, potentially disrupting universal narratives that have long marginalized these voices.