Luis Cruz Azaceta, standing in front of his painting Crisis, 2020, done in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luis Cruz Azaceta was interviewed by François Vallée for Hypermedia Magazine's The Bunker, a series by Vallée which focuses on contemporary Cuban art.
In the interview, Azaceta discusses his upbringing in Marianao, Cuba; the experience of living as a Cuban exile for the past 60 years; how emmigrating to New York at the age of 18 formed his outlook on art and life; and the many ways in which his artistic process has evolved over the years. Azaceta explains, "I have always considered myself a New York artist, my training has been done in this city with all its influences and, of course, with my Cuban idiosyncrasy and my particular way of thinking about art, which is a fusion of the two cultures in that physical and mental space called exile."
Reflecting on his career thus far, Azaceta continues, "...I live on art and that is a great honor and a privilege. It has not been easy, it has been a complicated journey, but where there is discipline, tenacity and creative honesty, sooner or later one ends up being recognized."