I am Yunier Cardenas Sarria, an Afro-Cuban artist based in Berlin. My journey began in childhood, painting with my grandpa, and continued with four years of formal art studies in Cuba. I also work as a teacher, and I find the unfiltered, imaginative freedom of children’s minds to be a vital, ongoing source of creative nourishment for my own work.
My art is deeply influenced by Surrealism, with the transformed human body at its core. I portray figures that express raw emotions—sometimes nude, sometimes covered—always in dialogue with symbolic elements like bird heads. Lines are crucial; they define contours and strengthen the expressiveness of each figure.
Working with mixed media, I use strong contrasts and flat surfaces. My vibrant palettes reflect my Cuban roots. My intention is to connect worlds: the vitality of my heritage with the sharp contrasts of my life in Berlin. Each painting is a bridge between cultures, imagination and reality, body and soul.