Mario Mesa is one of those many Cubans who arrived in the United States on the Mariel in
1980. Abandoned at birth, he had a sad childhood and, instead of going to school or playing
with other children, he was soon forced to find work. Once installed in the USA, in 1991 he
begins painting the same day that Rufino Tamayo died. For Mesa, painting plays a central
role in his life: it helps him to feel better, to express what he feels without words. He says
that he paints “Mother nature’s marvels”, although this is not the first impression a viewer
may have when looking in amazement at those terrifying figures with disturbing faces, evil
smiles and unusual behaviors.
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