Cuba street artist transforms neighborhood into a tourism hotspot

World Today

Cuba street artist transform neighborhood into a tourism hotspot 2

Street art is usually paintings or graffiti on walls. But one Cuban artist, Jose Fuster, has spent the past 20 years transforming a suburb of Havana into an open air exhibition covering his house and those of his neighbors as well as entire streets with murals, paintings and sculptures.

CCTV America’s Michael Voss reports.

Fuster is a multi-faceted artist, painter, sculptor, ceramicist and more, who has spent the past 20 years turning his entire neighborhood literally into a work of art.

“My home was a very small place which I have been enlarging and enlarging to have it as you see around you now. My neighbors saw these things and wanted me to do some work for them. So we began to do things based on their suggestions and my art,” Fuster said.

Fuster first found fame as a painter back in the 1970’s and 80’s and uses what he earns from his work to fund the projects. This painting just sold for some $10,000.

Today, there are now around 100 places in the area transformed by his work, from homes to streets and small parks, all done at his own cost.

The neighborhood is now known as Fusterlandia, Fuster Land. It’s become a major tourist attraction, one of the most visited arts complexes in Cuba.

Fuster’s house is open to the public free of charge, while his neighbors have gotten used to visitors from around the world peering at their homes.

The neighborhood remains a work in progress. New murals are going up all the time. At age 70, Fuster shows no signs of slowing down.