Ramón Moya Hernández

* 1948

  • "Generally speaking, art is ambiguous, as it is supposed to be created so that you could interpret it in your very own way. The meaning of every masterpiece is dependent on how you perceive it in your head. All artists have a codex, furthermore freedom. Because within art is one able to express what he thinks and feels. Nobody likes to change his attitude, even if it is just for appearances. But at the time, that's what an artist had to do as you could not exhibit your work in France or Japan. Some specialists observed your work and, usually, stir up a great fuss about it at the hotel. But luckily, things have changed over time. Times have changed.”

  • "I do not work for publicity. I work because of the spiritual need of mine. Not for the sake of interviews, nor the winning prizes. The work makes me feel good about myself that's the reason behind all of it. Word is I'm an artist. But that is not true, no, I'm not an artist. I have never tried to be one. I consider myself as a man of great will, at any time able to do what I'm doing right now."

  • "So, I began to create my work. But six months later, within the madness, there was no space for my things in my mother's ranch as the production was meteoric. So I had to take the figures and fill my mother's hallway with them. Whenever a visitor came, she had to throw the things into the garden so that the guest could at least sit down. Sometimes, I had to put the items on my mother's beds. So she couldn't lie down nor rest. It wasn't only the increase of stuff though, the family was growing too."

  • “My dad was an animal. My dad was nuts and an alcoholic. The only thing I inherited was his courage, cojones and willpower. No alcohol, I don't drink alcohol. If you want to drink alcohol, then drink it, but I don't. I'm allergic to it because I've promised myself I won't become him. We should inherit only the good manners from our ancestors, not the bad ones. He thought about me only as bait for my mom to watch. Once, he took me to a place called Jardín de Monte Ruz, ruled by Raúl, a few of my uncles lived there. My father hid me under a guao bush [an endemic plant in Cuba]. It is a poisonous plant. Even its distant scent hits you right into feels.”

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    Cuba, 09.05.2021

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I don’t work for vanity, my action speaks for itself

Moya Hernández Ramón
Moya Hernández Ramón
photo: Post Bellum

Ramón Moya Hernández was born on August 31, 1948 in San Luis de Potosí, Guantánamo Province. He grew up in a family which was falling apart as his father was an alcoholic and his mother a housewife. He has always loved being in touch with nature. Therefore from an early age was working as a typical Cuban peasant, performed tasks such as planting, collecting firewood and so on. He took part in the Agricultural technical youth column, an organization similar to the Military Units to Aid Production, UMAP [Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción]. Moreover, he joined the ranks of the Columna Juvenil del Centenario, which sent him to Bayamo to plant sugar cane. Due to his hyperactivity, passion for art, and unique way of expressing himself, a lot of people suppose, that he is mentally unstable. He has been awarded at numerous national and international art exhibitions. In 2021, lived in Guantánamo, Cuba, the place where he was born and developed his unique sense of art.