"They paint her with life to simulate that she breathes": Artist "portrays" the Cuban revolution as a declining elderly woman

Alejandro Daniel García, a young Cuban visual artist based in New Jersey, once again moves social media with a powerful painting titled "El disfraz," a visual allegory that openly denounces the physical, symbolic, and moral decay of the Cuban revolution.

In a digital painting shared on Facebook, García presents a scene rich in symbolism: a skeletal elderly woman, bald, sitting in front of a vanity as she is being made up by three figures from the Cuban establishment: journalists Randy Alonso, Humberto López, and Arléen Rodríguez Derivet.

The elderly woman, an explicit symbol of the revolution, is "painted with life to simulate that she breathes," in the words of the artist himself, who accompanies the image with a poetic and devastating text:

"The makeup artists disguise her every day: She, the one who moves forward, the undefeated. They paint her with life to simulate that she breathes. They always do this while preventing her from looking out the window. 'She can't see her reflection in the glass!'" he detailed.

The crystal to which the author refers reveals a truth that makeup artists try to conceal: in the background, visible through a window, there is an overflowing trash bin where a beggar rummages through the garbage in search of food, a scene that reflects the everyday misery on the Island and dismantles the official narrative.

A sustained visual critique

This new work is in line with the characteristic style of Alejandro Daniel García, who has made political satire and social critique the cornerstones of his artistic endeavors.

In 2024, he made a significant impact with his version of "The Last Supper," in which he replaced Jesus and his apostles with key figures of Castroism, from Raúl Castro - positioned at the center - to Miguel Díaz-Canel, including Mariela Castro, his nephew "El Cangrejo," Manuel Marrero, Esteban Lazo, and Bruno Rodríguez.

The work was accompanied by a biblical quotation from Matthew 23:15: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. Hypocrites!"

With her, García referred to the hypocrisy of the power elite and their ostentation in the face of popular misery.

The piece, like "The Disguise," was created entirely using digital techniques without the use of artificial intelligence, and it detailed the excess, gluttony, and decay into which, according to the artist, the revolutionary project has degenerated.

From "Someraznava" to the urgency of opening our eyes

Before that, in October 2021, García published a series of seven illustrations grouped under the title "Someraznava" - "We Will Advance" in reverse - which visually narrated more than six decades of Cuban history.

The series began with Fidel Castro's rise to power and concluded in 2021 with a devastated country, an empty house, an old television repeating empty promises, and a central character whose fate, between death or despair, remained open to interpretation.

Each scene depicted the deterioration of a typical Cuban home and the lives of its inhabitants, while slogans of the regime continued to parade outside the window: "Resist," "We will not renounce," "We will perfect ourselves"... which stand in stark contrast to the harsh reality of poverty.

The artist explained in statements to CiberCuba that the work was inspired by his family, but it also represented the story of thousands of Cuban households.

"What I want is to prompt reflection among those who are confused about whether we need a definitive change in Cuba," he stated.

Art as Moral Protest

"The Costume," their latest creation, revisits this critical line but with a more introspective approach and visually condensed.

In a single image, García condenses the act of upholding a facade - that of the "invincible" Revolution - through the desperate efforts of those who control public discourse.

The made-up elderly woman is not just a symbol of the aged and inoperative, but also of the systematic denial of reality.

The presence of official makeup artists adds an element of direct denunciation: they are the ones responsible for creating the illusion, preventing contact with the outside reality, and stopping the Revolution from "seeing itself in the mirror."

This inability for self-reflection, the author suggests, is the true Cuban tragedy.

In contrast, the scene of the beggar among the garbage—visible but disconnected from the protagonists inside—symbolizes the fracture between propaganda and real life, between the country of discourse and the country that is lived.

An artist committed to memory

Born in Cuba, Alejandro Daniel García studied Graphic Design in his country and later specialized in Advertising with an emphasis on Multimedia Production at the Latin American University of Science and Technology in Costa Rica.

His meticulous and narrative approach steers clear of gratuitous sensationalism and aims directly at the emotional and historical heart of his audience, whether they are Cubans from within the island or abroad.

In her own words, her motivation is clear:

"It terrifies me to look ahead and know that in 30 years I could repeat the same patterns as my parents and grandparents, with a television that only talks about overproductions while the refrigerator remains empty."

With "El disfraz," García once again provokes, unsettles, and shakes up consciences.

It not only delivers a visually powerful work but also continues to build a symbolic archive of Cuban disillusionment, where the revolution is now a disguised shadow that cannot—and should not—look in the mirror.

Frequently Asked Questions about "The Disguise" and Social Critique in Cuba