Reynier Llanes, born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, in 1985, is a renowned artist known for his captivating portrayals of Cuban landscapes and folklore. Educated at the city’s art school, he was mentored by the esteemed realist Juan Miguel Suárez. Llanes’s artistic journey took him from Havana, where he deepened his craft, to the United States in 2007, where he quickly gained recognition through exhibitions in Naples, FL, and Charleston, SC.

His work, which often blends narrative and allegory with a magical interpretation of his homeland, has been featured in prestigious institutions like the Denver Art Museum and the Gibbes Museum of Art. Now based in Miami, Llanes continues to explore new mediums and techniques, striving to inspire and support future generations of artists while making significant contributions to the international art scene.

Can you share some of the most significant influences from your early years in Pinar del Río, Cuba, and how they shaped your artistic vision?

The island of Cuba is a tropical paradise full of beautiful landscapes. My hometown, Pinar del Rio has a singular landform called mogotes which are unique mountains of stone and earth in a valley. They look like gigantic stones put there by an even bigger hand. That’s also the land of the tobacco leaf, once said the best of the world because of the special humidity and weather conditions. All of those images of tobacco leaves growing by the mogotes shaped my childhood as a boy from the countryside. I always felt inclined to paint what impressed my eyes and my family supported my dream. That’s how I studied art and was inspired by my professors and the relevant painters from Cuba, many of them.

What were some of the key challenges and opportunities you encountered when transitioning from Cuba to the United States, particularly in the art scene of Naples and Charleston?
Migration is a big change in a person’s life. One of the biggest challenges is leaving the people you love and all your social network behind to start over in a new place. What really makes a home are the people that surround you and once you don’t have them you miss them the most. We tend to overlook that fact on our daily life but that’s something I learned the hard way and have shaped my life ever since. Ironically, sometimes those changes that are hard to assimilate bring the most beautiful opportunities. I had the chance to fill my life with new and kind people who embraced me into my new communities in Naples and later in Charleston. I made lifetime friends like the Harmon Meek family that represent my work or Jonathan Green who transformed and inspired my journey in unpredictable ways.

How has the rich Southern culture and the vibrant art community in South Florida influenced your work, and in what ways do you incorporate these influences into your art?
The rich southern culture has been my home since I moved to the US. Now, I’ve almost lived the same amount of time here than in my hometown but even before I already called it home. The nature, the similar yet diverse weather and the relationship with the ocean are some of the qualities that are more appealing to me. However, the most important part of the southern culture is the people. Those values of hospitality, warmth, and brotherhood are the ones closer to my heart. This have influenced my work not only in the colors and techniques I choose but also in the relevance I provide to the human connection. In my work, the future of our species and the values we share as human beings are central themes.

Could you elaborate on your experiences during your artist residencies, particularly at the Jonathan Green Studios and Northwestern State University? How did these experiences contribute to your growth as an artist?
Getting to know Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman shaped not only my art but my entire future. The firsthand experience from such a talented artist is something invaluable especially when forming as an artist and an adult. The career of an artist, the hard work, and the persistence it requires are concepts hard to grasp in the abstract. That’s why being exposed to the possibilities of the art and the confidence in oneself talents is so important. I had that experience and change my life and later had others like the show and residency in the Northwestern State University in Louisiana. There I had the opportunity to collaborate with exchange students from a university in Colombia and it was very fruitful. Part of this is why I’ve always tried to give back to the community, teach to kids and do lectures as part of my shows and my professional life. I feel is my duty to enlightened other people’s life like once someone did to me. 

Your solo exhibition at Miami Dade College West featured a large collection of coffee paintings. Can you discuss the inspiration behind this series and how it reflects your cultural heritage?
The Coffee Paintings came with me from Cuba. Cigars and coffee are a big part of my Cuban heritage and I believe coffee is part of most people life. I started using it as a medium due to the scarcity of materials in the island. I was exploring watercolors but didn’t have enough painting, so I started using the coffee my mom used to make for me. I enjoyed so much that I continued using it once here in the States also as way to feel closer to home. Now I teach coffee painting workshops to connect with my students all over the country speaking the common language of the coffee aroma. However, it also represents the will to prevail in the face of adversity. Being resourceful and have a creative thinking are important qualities for an artist. I enjoyed very much the show at the Miami Dade College West focused on my coffee paintings and I’ve been including them in most of my shows after. My most recent solo show at Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston includes coffee on paper from my early stages that private donors generously lend to the show and more recent coffee on canvas paintings. The curator Sara Arnold and the rest of the museum team made an incredible work showing most of my entire career. 

Your works often depict Cuban folklore and landscapes with a magical interpretation. Can you explain how you blend traditional elements with modern techniques to create your unique narrative?
I leaned to use metaphors and hidden messages as a way to challenge the status quo in the island. The regime didn’t allowed artists to freely express their mind and this kind of strategies were very useful when criticizing and trying to speak up. I think this fond for storytelling I owe it to that.  I also love poetry and to convey a message in magical and unique ways that speak directly to the viewer’s soul. If I accomplished that I feel relieved. In addition to that, my training as a realistic painter has evolved over time creating new textures and mixture of colors and techniques not only in the conceptual side. I think that’s what inspire me most, to combine storytelling and narratives with new techniques that challenges my mind.

What does a typical day look like for you in your studio or workshop? How do you structure your time and approach your creative process?
The typical day is painting or at least I try it to be. That’s what I enjoy the most in my life: having the time and space to paint. At the studio there are always calls, emails and personal life situations to manage especially after becoming a father, something that changed my life and routine for good. But all that enriches my experience and make the time I spend with the canvases even more special. I try to listen to music, create a cozy yet enlighten atmosphere, then I prepare the materials. Once I got in the zone in can be there for hours. I’m grateful to have the opportunity and time to dedicate my life to painting.

What are some of your upcoming projects or exhibitions? How do you plan to continue exploring and evolving your artistic techniques and themes?

I’m extremely happy with my most recent show “Passages” at the Gibbes Museum of Art (I’ll share the press release for more information). Charleston is like a second home for me and having the opportunity to come back for a solo show on the third floor of the Museum has been a gift and dream came true. It opened in May and will run until September 15^th. I’m also eager to present my coffee paintings here in Miami soon and will have my yearly show in the Harmon Meek gallery in Naples as well. Every year I look forward to the time when we gather all our friends from Naples and all over the country and get together to celebrate my latest creations along with the Harmon Meek family. There are other surprises coming for next year which I hope is as fruitful and kind like this one. I always share news and updates on my social media, website, and email correspondence. 

What advice would you offer to young artists who are just starting their careers, especially those who might be inspired by your work?

I would say the same advises that were useful to me: don’t be afraid of change. This is appropriate for all aspects of life whether is personal or professional. Yes, is hard. Changes always are but greatness come out of it. If you feel too comfortable with your art at a certain point, maybe it’s time to try something new. Also, always follow your own muses. Every path is different therefore every person has different experiences that shaped them. That’s exactly what make every one of us unique and with unique stories to tell. And, always follow your dream.