Mind Spirit Body : Manuel Mendive
Manuel Mendive is one of Cuba’s most celebrated and visionary contemporary artists. Deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban culture and inspired by Yoruba spiritual traditions, Mendive’s work explores myth, nature, ritual, and the human body as a living canvas. He paints not only on traditional materials like canvas and wood, but also on organic elements, and most strikingly, directly on people. Through these practices, his art bridges painting, sculpture, performance, and spiritual expression.
I was honored when Mendive invited me to collaborate with him on a major project for the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The exhibition included 26 large-scale photographic prints, each mounted on stainless steel at 40x60 inches, as well as a selection of Mendive’s sculptures. Together, these works formed a rich, immersive narrative that brought his creative vision into new dimensions. The photographic prints from our collaboration are now part of the Bronx Museum’s permanent collection.
In our partnership, Mendive directed the transformation and performance of the models, most of whom were passionate, dedicated art students, while I had full creative control over the photographic side. He painted vivid, symbolic imagery on the human form, then turned the moment over to me. I was free to interpret and capture it however I felt inspired, working in the lush, dense rainforest environment.
One of the most memorable nights of that collaboration was standing in a stream, that was two or three feet deep, photographing the models beneath the moonlight. Assistants, also standing in the water, helping to position and control the light sources we had. The moment was surreal, beautiful and immersive - a perfect expression of Mendive’s fusion of art, nature, and spirit.
In 2024, several of the works from this collaboration were featured in the Manuel Mendive Retrospective at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) in Havana. This comprehensive retrospective celebrated the life and work of Mendive across decades, showcasing paintings, sculptures, installations, and performance documentation.
The photographic images we created together were part of a dedicated gallery space within the show, highlighting his interdisciplinary approach and collaborations beyond Cuba. Seeing our work among the many phases of his artistic journey, in a setting that honored his influence on Cuban culture and global art, was both humbling and deeply moving.
Collaborating with Mendive was far more than a creative exercise, it was an immersion into a cultural and spiritual dialogue. It allowed me to witness and document a truly unique artistic voice and to contribute to a body of work that continues to resonate across generations and geographies.
