The Collection

Vicente Hernández is a Cuban painter whose work blends surrealism and magical realism to reflect on cultural identity, displacement, and the search for transcendence. Born in the coastal town of Batabanó—a place that continues to shape his artistic imagination—Hernández often depicts fantastical journeys across tumultuous seas, floating or uprooted landscapes, and improbable vehicles that speak to both the resilience and precariousness of Cuban life. Irony and humor infuse his intricate compositions, where dreamlike narratives coexist with commentary on natural disasters, industrialization, and social change.

Hernández studied art education at the Instituto Superior Pedagógico de Batabanó, graduating in 1994 before teaching for two years in its Department of Fine Arts. Since 2001, he has exhibited internationally with Cernuda Arte, presenting solo shows across the United States, Spain, Germany, Holland, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic. His works have been featured in more than fifty group exhibitions and major art fairs, as well as in over ten illustrated books.

In 2016, his career was the subject of a monograph, Vicente Hernández (Ediciones S/G, Lima, Peru), and in 2019 his work appeared in A Round Trip at the DA2 Contemporary Art Center in Salamanca, Spain. His paintings are widely published and have earned him multiple national awards and recognitions.

Hernández lives and works in Cuba, continuing to craft intricate, metaphor-rich worlds that extend beyond the island while remaining deeply rooted in its cultural and emotional landscapes.