Cuba Unchanged
Cuba Unchanged is a series of black-and-white photographs made during ten years of travel across Cuba. Each portrait is an encounter-direct, unembellished, and grounded in presence. Through the exchange of gazes, the photographs invite us not only to see another person, but to experience something of their lifestyle and humanity.
Photographs made in Havana, Vinales, San Lorenzo, Hershey, Baracoa, and Cojimar, Cuba from 2009-2019
May Day Workers Parade #1 Havana, Cuba, 2013 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Santaria Ladies, Havana, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Church singing San Lorenzo, Cuba 2012
May Day Workers' Parade #2 Havana, Cuba, 2013 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Katie in her bed Havana, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Uncle and Nephew (in bed) The Prado Havana, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Train crew repairmen Hershey, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Farmers Wife Vinales, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Cocca Farmers' Wife and Child at Home Baracoa, Cuba 2014 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Father and daughter on unsafe staircase Havana, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Shop owner Havana, Cuba 2009 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Jorge Auto Mechanic Cojimar, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Children in a school classroom Havana, Cuba 2012 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Balcony scene Havana, Cuba 2014 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
Recess Time Matanzas, Cuba 2013 Archival pigment print Available in limited editions
About the
series
My photographs of Cuba offer an intimate view of everyday life on the island, beyond the familiar clichés and carefully constructed poses. Making these photographs requires patience. I spend time with people, listen to their stories, and often simply wait until the moment reveals itself.
Many of these photographs were made inside private homes. Sometimes I am visiting a friend; other times, a chance encounter on the street becomes an invitation upstairs for coffee and a biscuit. Those unexpected acts of openness and generosity have allowed me to photograph a Cuba that is personal rather than observed from a distance.
The symbols of Cuba are always present—the flag, revolutionary slogans, aging portraits and walls marked by history. Yet life continues around them, particularly among younger generations whose relationship to that history is changing.
At the center of this work are the Cuban people themselves: their homes, relationships, resilience and humanity. Through these photographs, I hope to share something of the trust I have been given and the deep respect I have for the people of Cuba.
Available for Acquisition
Fine-art archival pigment prints
35 × 47 inches • Edition of 3
17 × 22 inches • Edition of 12
Signed and numbered by the artist
Certificate of authenticity included
Different places. Different lives. Shared humanity.
Confronting the Portrait is part of Jay Seldin’s four-decade exploration of people and the worlds they inhabit.