Amelia Peláez del Casal was born in Yaguajay on January 5, 1896, and died in 1968 at the age of 72. She is one of the most distinguished exponents of the visual arts in Cuba. Her still lifes, as well as her ceramic and stained-glass works, have remained an enduring legacy of artistry and technical mastery; her career has been recognized with high awards, both in Cuba and abroad.

Like most of the most brilliant figures in painting, sculpture, and other fields of artistic creation, she studied at the Academy of San Alejandro. From an early age, her talent stood out, and by 1920 she had already successfully exhibited her first works. The pieces “Aldeana” and “Estudio” date from this period, where she captured a style of work that would define her later work.

His works Mendoza Park and The Cabin Laurel date from 1922, opening a fruitful period that would continue with an exhibition organized in 1924, alongside fellow painter María Josefa Lamarque. This exhibition included pieces such as Rule Ships, Brave Canes, Casablanca, Large Bridges, Fountains, and Sad Path, to name just a few. Before 1927, he had also publicly exhibited The Docks, Under the Bridge, The Cemetery, Quarry, Pond, and Winter Tree.

She was a cosmopolitan artist who visited several European countries, including Spain, France (where her works were exhibited on several occasions between 1927 and 1933), Germany, and Czechoslovakia. She also interacted with prominent cultural figures, including Pablo Picasso himself. In 1930, she took ceramics and coloring classes with a Russian teacher named Alexandra, which had a positive influence on her career.

In 1934, he returned to Cuba, where he continued to create and establish himself in the national visual arts scene. The colorfulness of his canvases and the meticulous aesthetic that characterizes each of his works earned him numerous awards around the world. His deep connection to Cuban identity has ensured that he remains with us, not only on the facades of important buildings like the Hotel Habana Libre or the Museum of Cuban Art, but also at the center of our culture and the essence of Cuban identity.