Fusterlandia in Jaimanitas

We visited Jaimanitas, a small municipality in the north eastern part of Havana that is the home of a famous Cuban artist and sculptor Jose Fuster. The artist is 71 and works every day with a team of artisans who actually execute his designs. He has decorated his home, and, with approval of his neighbors, he has also decorated more than 80 neighborhood homes. He talks to the homeowners to elicit ideas for what they would like to have for the decorations, and draws sketches. Once they are approved, he and his team set to work and the results have become known as “Fusterlandia in Jaimanitas.”

We were met by the artist’s elder son, Alex, an MD who actually seems to have devoted his life to supporting his father’s art. He said that he is a part of his father’s “team,” and was standing in for his father, who was out of the country for an exhibition.

The artist’s home is a fairyland of fanciful shapes and mosaics. Inside the front gate is what I suspect is a picture of his family – the artist and his wife, his three sons, and his son’s wife.

As you can see from the pictures, Mr. Fuster is inspired by Gaudi, Picasso, and Modigliani, amongst others.

At some points you feel as though you have landed in the Mad Hatter’s tea party or Rube Goldberg’s laboratory

Everywhere there are sinuous curves and fantastic creatures

There is also a mural of Saint Charity, the patron saint of Cuba. Legend has it that fisherman were out one day and noticed a boat floating nearby. When they drew near, they found it contained a statue of a woman who became known as Saint Charity.