Lecture by Yamilys Brito Jorge, 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, 2023/2024, accompanying event at MGLC Grad Tivoli.
Photo: Gregor Gobec. MGLC Archive.
At the end of the Biennale, Yamilys Brito Jorge, artist and director of the Experimental Printmaking Workshop in Havana, was a guest in Ljubljana. During the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, which coincided with the beginning of the Cold War and the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, printmaking became an important tool for political propaganda and activism. Several print workshops were founded during this period, including the Experimental Graphic Workshop of Havana (Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana), which is still active today, where artists learned printmaking techniques and created a space for political and social criticism through art.
Yamilys Brito Jorge gave a lecture at the International Centre of Graphic Arts entitled Smoke Rings in the (R) Evolution of Cuban Printmaking, which was dedicated to the question of the sources of inspiration for Cuban printmaking in both historical and recent times and what underlines current trends. The topics of discussion included the changes, techniques and interplays between art, the tobacco industry, posters and printing. The public lecture was followed by the experimental printmaking workshop Smoke Rings in the (R) Evolution of Cuban Printmaking, Artist’s Book in the MGLC Print Studio. Assisted by the guest artist, the participants produced an A4 artist’s book in the linocut and chine-collé techniques (using cigar labels/cigarette stickers) in an edition of nine copies.
By piecing together symbols and images from Cuba’s history, architecture, folklore and traditions, Yamilys Brito Jorge creates mixed media prints that explore concepts ranging from memory, isolation and nostalgia to homeland and national identity. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge; she is in full command of her skills and finds a fine balance between the technical and the playful to express a voice uniquely her own. She explains: “My work is always on paper. I enjoy the possibilities that this medium has to offer. I love the memorabilia of other countries – old filmstrips, theatre tickets, vintage postcards, photographs, posters and old handwritten letters. My work is made of mementoes, vestiges and souvenirs, all collectable pieces of heart, soul and time. For me, reality is stronger than everything. I approach my work utilising all the graphic techniques and skills, and when creating my works, I can combine three or four procedures at the same time.”