Ediciones Vigía (cover designer and illustrator: Norlys Ortega Ruiz, editor: Gladys Mederos), "Esquema de la impura rosa" by Luis Yuseff Reyes, March 2004. Handmade artist book, Colección Del Estero series.

Ediciones Vigía, founded in 1985 in Matanzas, Cuba, revolutionized Cuban book publishing by creating handmade, limited-edition artist books as cultural artifacts during the Special Period when materials were scarce. Each book in their collection is manufactured and illuminated by hand, with only 200 copies produced per title, making every volume a unique work of art.

Norlys Ortega Ruiz's cover design for "Esquema de la impura rosa" exemplifies Vigía's signature aesthetic of resourceful creativity. The cover features hand-lettered calligraphic text collaged onto kraft cardboard, with torn pieces of pink paper creating an irregular, organic border that echoes the "impure rose" of the title. The design incorporates recycled industrial papers in various colors and textures, transforming scarcity into beauty. The hand-drawn serpentine border framing the cover adds a folkloric, artisanal quality that celebrates traditional Cuban craftsmanship while creating a thoroughly modern book object.

Luis Yuseff Reyes is an acclaimed Cuban poet who has won numerous awards including the Ciudad de Holguín Poetry Prize and the Premio Nacional de Poesía América Bolivia. This publication showcases Vigía's commitment to Cuban literature and their innovative approach to book design during Cuba's economic crisis, when they pioneered using alternative materials—recycled papers, textiles, and found objects—to continue publishing important literary works.