Adrián Fernández Havana, Cuba | 1984

Adrián Fernández perceives images, forms, and objects as archaeological remnants intimately tied to historical contexts and cultural paradigms. He studied visual arts at the San Alejandro Fine Arts Academy (2004) and the High Institute of Arts (2010) in Havana, Cuba. Fernández began experimenting with photographic media in the early stages of his career. Viewing architecture as a material expression of society, he photographed domestic exteriors between 2006 and 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he documented private spaces, capturing portraits of foyers, dining rooms, and terraces. This exploration of interiors was followed by a focus on home decor, featuring still lifes that showcased the contrasting styles found in Cuban homes.

In 2014, Fernández centered his photographic investigation on the representation of national identity. He enlarged segments of postage stamps issued in Cuba throughout the twentieth century, distorting them into abstract images of traditional Cuban symbols. This series led to his first three-dimensional clay models. Since then, Fernández has expanded his practice to include installations and sculptures. His photographic style has also evolved from a documentary black-and-white approach to studio photography, incorporating digital images and computer-generated elements to visualize imaginary topographies as landscapes for his three-dimensional structures.

Fernández has exhibited in group and solo shows in Cuba, United States, Mexico, Panama, France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. His work can be found in the collections of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the 21C Museum Hotels, the Perez Art Museum Miami, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and in the National Museum of Bellas Artes in Havana, Cuba. He works as an independent artist and as a professor of Documentary Photography for New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.