Luis E Toledo was born in 1989 in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba. He is a Miami-based artist. He was born in one of the most vivid and cultural cities in Cuba. Luis refers to his city as “small but magical”. Like his native city, he sees magical and idyllic places when he sits in front of a blank canvas. He dreams of characters who live in a parallel world to him. Luis comes from a family of artists. His father, Enrique, is a classical surrealist painter nationally known and with vast international exposure. His grandmother is a famed poet with dozens of books published, and mother is an accomplished theatrical puppet actress. His preferred medium is oil paint which allows him to experiment and open his creative process to endless possibilities.
Luis is enamored with lavishly formal representations of femininity. His matriarchal upbringing infused him with great administration for the female soul. He dresses his muses with pleated bodices, diaphanous chiffon, and fully buttoned-up silks. In Luis’ opulent world, his paintings show light with darkness, joy with sorrow and no triumph without challenge. Luis transforms blank canvases into dizzyingly detailed and utterly self-indulgent worlds. He has recently shown with Haven Gallery, (NY). His work has been featured in Beautiful Bizarre, Wall Street Journal, Art World News and 305Art+.
Seeking refuge from rolling blackouts, limited access to art supplies and the effects of the U.S. embargo, Luis fled to Miami where his career has been blossoming to the cups of breakaway fame. Luis’ talent has been compared to that of master oil painters. At a young age, Luis was featured in the documentary film Alumbrones which looks at life in Cuba through the eyes of twelve contemporary artists.
