We were lucky to catch up with Alaen Ledesma Fernandez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alaen , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

All the projects I start working on are meaningful to me. I am a passionate person, and I give myself in from the first moment to work and investigate thoroughly in each one of them.
My last significant project was, undoubtedly, the recent exhibit at the History and Discovery Center Museum, in Islamorada, Florida Keys. In this project, the personal exhibition of the famous Cuban plastic artist Carlos Guzmán entitled “Where the sea retires” was presented from January to April 2022, made up of 22 works in different formats and sizes. I believe that it was a successful exhibition, visited and acclaimed by international tourism and the Florida Keys community, where the artist was able to be present and interact in conference with the community and his followers. It was an exhibition completely sold and collected by knowledgeable families and collectors of Cuban Art.

Thanks to the success and reception of this project, Studio Fine Cuban Art To Collect was able to donate a significant sum to the museum to continue developing this type of exhibitions and events, and to motivate the community to collect good art. Personally, it is significant and of great importance to me to place works by Cuban artists in important private and institutional collections, as well as to show their art in museums. Undoubtedly, it is another level where Art is truly appreciated “as it should be”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Art is part of my life. It is something that I carry within me, and I could not live without it. I’m 48 years old. I was born, raised and educated on the island of Cuba, in the city of Havana. In my teens, I studied ballet, dance and theater. Likewise, I graduated in Economics and Foreign Trade and the Higher Institute of Cuban Art (ISA).
I am a curator, cultural promoter and art dealer. I have dedicated my life to Cuban Arts. In one way or another, I have traveled with it since I was a child. Since 2010 specifically, I have dedicated myself to the representation of artists and to the preparation of art exhibitions inside and outside Cuba; promoting the art work of prestigious figures of Cuban Art. My work is a direct work with the artist, where we plan and choose the works to be exhibited as a team to guarantee a high-quality proposal.

The joint work of artists and curators always results in more interesting exhibitions and in the democratization of those who love Art expressions. When an art curatorship is carried out well, it honors the work of the participating artists. I am proud of all the work that I do every day, and of every achievement along the way. I feel proud when I help launch the career of an artist, and I see him succeed and develop by displaying his work internationally.

Cuban Art collection has stood out for years in the international market. In recent years, Cuban artists still alive have achieved significant prices at one of the most important auction houses: Christy and Sotherby. It is of great importance to me and to Studio Fine Cuban Art To Collect that all my clients and collectors know about the career of the artists, where their works are located, in which collections and museums they can meet and talk with the artist directly, etc.
Soon, in August 2022, I will inaugurate an interesting collective exhibition with six of the most outstanding painters of realism and photo-realism in Cuba: “Virtuosos (Virtuous People)”. The show will be exhibited at the Roberto Russell Galleries, Islamorada. Later, in November 2022, specifically at the Historic and Discovery Center, Florida Keys, the work of Alicia Leal, one of the most outstanding and important Cuban plastic artists, will be shown. Also in November 2022, another exhibition with the talented Cuban artist Andy Llanes Bultó will open at 21 Museum Hotel, Lexington, Kentucky. I will be closing up this year very busy, and will inaugurate the new 2023 with many new and relevant proposals.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there is a particular goal and mission that drives me: Cuban Arts. I feel committed to them. Cuban art is my passion, something I enjoy. I am committed to promoting, visualizing and giving a place to Cuban Arts at the Florida Keys. Representing artists’ careers, carrying out art projects and exhibitions, has been my job uninterruptedly during these last 7 years in Key West, working for different galleries, museums and with public art projects in the city thanks to the support of the Florida Arts Council. I always try to offer and bring the best of contemporary Cuban art to each of my exhibitions and events, by presenting its most outstanding and relevant artists.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of an artist is seeing your work finally finished and feeling satisfied with it, with what you want to convey, and with yourself. It’s rewarding to see people’s reaction to Art or to what you do. In my case, as an art curator, there is nothing more gratifying than the reaction of the public when they visit the exhibitions, the dialogue with the visitors, their personal experiences and their vision of the Art they are just appreciating. In more than one of my exhibitions, I have found people very emotional, even with tears in their eyes. That emotion that Art produces is a unique concession between Art and the human soul.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alaenelchino/?hl=es
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/alaenelchino
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaen-ledesma-fernandez-897692197
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/alaenf

Image Credits
Debra Ferragamo- Hayes