“ I want to show people what they cannot see. Art is a call to the heart. It provokes meditation even in the most humble of people.” - Manuel Mendive
Manuel Mendive, a Cuban artist from Havana, is a visionary painter, sculptor, and performance artist whose vibrant, symbolic universe weaves together the sacred threads of Yoruba cosmology, Santería rituals, and the living pulse of the Caribbean. With luminous colors, fluid forms, and an alchemical fusion of human, animal, and divine beings, Mendive conjures orishas and patakis into contemporary visions where myth breathes alongside everyday life. Deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban spirituality and the natural world, his multidisciplinary practice—spanning canvas, carved wood, body painting, and theatrical environments—transforms the legacies of slavery, diaspora, and resilience into poetic celebrations of harmony, sensuality, and the eternal dialogue between spirit and flesh.