Fusterlandia

Fuster was born in 1946 in Caibarien and was already an established painter, printmaker and ceramicist when he bought a small wooden house in Jaimanitas in 1975. Jaimanitas was then a run-down fishing community. He began covering his property with mosaics made mainly from broken tiles in bright primary colours, and accounts differ on exactly when the mosaic work began. Spanish Wikipedia and an agency report give 1994 as the start of the project, when he began covering the entrance and walls of his home.

After finishing his own space, he asked neighbours whether he could decorate their homes and businesses. Some agreed, and the work spread.

Spanish Wikipedia describes Fusterlandia as the informal name for a set of artistic interventions in Jaimanitas, and says it has become an example of community art cited by international media. Because neighbours agreed to have their properties transformed, the project is a collective change to the surroundings, not just a single studio.

Over time more than 80 houses were decorated with murals and domes, and Fuster added a chess park, a theatre and public swimming pools. The Artists' Wall is a quilt of dozens of tiles signed and donated by other Cuban artists. The art is often described as naive, with childlike shapes and strong colours, and Fuster is sometimes called the Picasso of the Caribbean.

After seeing Gaudi's work in Barcelona on a European tour, Fuster wanted to create something similar for his own country. Critics point out that the work has its own whimsy and character that differ from those artists.

Critics often link the work to Catalan Modernism because of its ceramic mosaics. Fuster has said he admires Gaudi but that his conceptual reference is the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, and that a 1976 visit to Targu Jiu in Romania, where Brancusi created a monumental ensemble, shaped the project. Fuster's house and studio act as the hub of the project and as an exhibition space.

The mosaics mix fish, birds, faces, saints, mythical creatures and Cuban motifs, reflecting the fishing village setting and local identity. Because the pieces are made from broken ceramic tile, surfaces catch light differently through the day, and the best photography is usually in strong, even light.

The project is an example of how a single artist's vision can reshape a community, with neighbours participating by letting their houses become part of the work.

Mosaic is applied systematically to building walls, street furniture and functional elements of public space, alongside sculptures, reliefs and murals. Repeated motifs and intense colour create a continuous visual environment. A doctor's office in Jaimanitas, for example, has mosaic-covered walls.

Fusterlandia lies on the western edge of Havana, so it is usually reached by car, and a private driver makes it easy to include in a tour of the city. According to travel reports, visitors can see the artist in person at times and buy tiles from his workshop, though availability varies. Streets are residential, so visitors should be respectful of residents' privacy.