Where does art go after Gaudí and Picasso? For a hint, head west from central Havana to Jaimanitas, where Cuban artist José Fuster (b 1946) has turned his home neighborhood into a masterpiece of tiles, turrets and extraordinary Barcelona-worthy beauty. Its nexus is the Taller-Estudio José Fuster where you can view his paintings and ceramics, and hopefully see him at work.
The result is what is unofficially known as Fusterlandia, an ongoing project first hatched 20 years ago that has covered several suburban blocks with whimsical but highly stylized public art. The centerpiece is Fuster’s own studio, a sizeable residence decorated from roof to foundations by art, sculpture and – above all – mosaic tiles of every color and description. The overall impression defies written description (just GO!), a fantastical mish-mash of spiraling walkways, rippling pools and sunburst fountains that make Gaudí’s Park Güell look positively staid. The work mixes homage to Picasso and Gaudí with snippets of Gauguin and Wilfredo Lam, elements of magic realism, strong maritime influences, a cap doffed to Santería, the curvaceous lines of modernisme , plus a large dose of Fuster’s own Cuban-ness which runs through almost everything (look for the Cuban flags, a mural of the Granma yacht, and the words Viva Cuba emblazoned across eight chimney pots).
Fusterlandia stretches way beyond Fuster’s own residence. Over half the neighborhood has been given similar artistic treatment from street signs to bus stops to the local doctor’s house. Wandering around its quiet streets is a surreal and psychedelic experience.
Jaimanitas is located just off Quinta Avenida (Av 5) in the far west of Playa, sandwiched between Club Havana and Marina Hemingway.
