Cuban Special Period 1990’s

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, Cuba was thrust into a time of extreme scarcity. Known as the “Special Period,” this era brought widespread famine, fuel shortages, and economic isolation. Yet amid the hardship, Cuba’s artistic spirit did not falter—it intensified.

This poignant collection, curated by Gallery on Greene Director Nance Frank, showcases works created during that crucible of creativity. Many pieces are works on paper, priced between $500 and $1,000, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire art born of resilience, resourcefulness, and unshaken vision.

These artists painted with what they had—scraps, soot, salvaged pigments—but what they expressed was boundless: humor, defiance, memory, and hope. Their work stands as testimony not only to Cuba’s cultural endurance, but to the power of art to thrive even when everything else is stripped away.