Mederox (José Mederos Sigler) #1948. "Conversando," 1999. Mixed media on paper. 20 x 27.5 inches.

MEDEROX [José Manuel Mederos Sigler], was born in 1949 in Bejucal, a small town not far from Havana, where he still lives. He began drawing when he was hospitalized for three months with burns at age 14, and began painting at age 35. Because he suffered nightmares as a child, he prefers to work throughout the night. Although Mederox never studied art, his talent is recognized by some of Cuba’s most important artists and critics, and he is a member of UNEAC, the Cuban Artists and Writers Union. His work is inspired by the African roots of Cuban culture and his poetic imagination – and sometimes his words – infuse his art. An early technique of drawing images on the back of paper pressed on a board previously impregnated with printing ink, produced rich and highly-textured works. He has had many solo shows in Cuba, Spain, Mexico, the U.S., Portugal and the Canary Islands, and has participated in group shows throughout Europe. One of Mederox’s most recent solo shows was in May 2017 in the Mizen Fine Art Gallery in Paris, inaugurating Latin America and the Caribbean Week.