El Taller Experimental de Gráfica

There is a thriving art community in Cuba, which I love because I always try and bring back small, original works from local artists when I travel.

So I was thrilled to visit El Taller Experimental de Gráfica ("Experimental Graphic Studio"), a cooperative graphic print shop in Old Havana.

It was established in 1962 by by mural artist Orlando Suarez with the support of then Minister of Industry, Che Guevara.

There is a group of artists working and studying there that preserve old print making techniques; you can see some of the presses in these photos:

From the Global Studies: Cuba blog:

Grabado (printmaking) is a very important traditional art form. The handmade quality and aesthetic value along with the fresh smell of ink and the high quality paper (things that are rare in Cuba) make Grabado very sought after.

Here is one of the artists performing his craft:

I bought two small etchings here and was able to meet one of the artists; sadly, I can't recall or make out his name on the art itself, but I think I have it in my notes/receipts somewhere and will update if I can find it.

 

Comments

[Stephanie]

Hi, again -

My tour lead didn't have a personal contact for you, as the visit was arranged by a third party, but she did send along this link which has some contact information: http://www.cnap.cult.cu/instituciones/taller-experimental-de-grafica-de-la-habana Good luck!

[Stephanie]

Hi, Valerie -

I'm checking with my contact at Smithsonian Journeys, which is the tour operator that arranged our visit. I will update if/when I get some contact info for you!

Thanks for stopping by.

Stephanie

[Valerie]

Could you please send me the name of your contact? I believe I talked with a lady named Yasmine but need to get her email. Thank you for your time and for sharing your experience!!