A mixed media watercolor monoprint, Isla Herida is the unique creation of Florencio Lennox Campello, born in Santiago de Cuba in 1956, as part of a printing assignment while the renowned artist was still a young student at the University of Washington School of Art. Marked by seven bleeding wounds, Lennox Campello’s portrait of Cuba is as remarkable for its simplicity as the deep pain that it projects. Purchased through the Alida Anderson Gallery at the Pulse Art Fair in Miami Beach, it was gifted to me in April 2021 by an anonymous donor at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. By giving away many such Cuban works of art at a time when Cuba was mired in isolation and darkness, the donor wanted to express gratitude to those who work toward the freedom and future sovereignty of Cuba and its people. Needless to say, the empathy of this donor matches that which Lennox Campello’s work depicts. Personal Collection of Lillian Guerra.
