Mariano Suárez del Villar

About

Mariano Suárez del Villar was a Cuban painter and composer who studied at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Alejandro under professors like Leopoldo Romañach Guillén, earning prizes during his time there. In the 1950s, his work reflected the melancholic style of Mexican muralism before shifting to more vital and joyful expressions. He began working as a musicólogo at Radio Progreso in 1952, forming friendships with key figures in the 'Feeling' movement such as César Portillo de la Luz and José Antonio Méndez. Politically active, he opposed Fulgencio Batista, was imprisoned, and released through the influence of actress Georgina Almanza. In 1959, he held a joint exhibition with Adigio Benítez at Castillo de San Carlos de La Cabaña and the Capitolio Nacional, and in 1960 co-founded the Escuela de Instructores de Arte del Comodoro as a drawing and painting instructor.[1][2][4] From 1959 to 1969, he paused visual arts to focus on radio music, contributing to Radio Habana Cuba. He resumed painting in 1968 or 1974, founding the Grupo Origen in 1974 (or 1976) with Pablo Toscano and Miquel de Jesús Ocejo, supported by intellectuals like Nicolás Guillén, Argeliers León, and María Teresa Linares. The group aimed to depict Cuba's ethnic symbiosis through innovative painting, rejecting folkloric canons, held 12 exhibitions sparking ethical and aesthetic debates, and disbanded in 1980 due to personal differences. Later, he reformed the musical group Los Zafiros as Los Nuevos Zafiros.[1][2]

Initially melancholic Mexican muralism style, later vital and joyful expressions exploring Cuban ethnic symbiosis