Julio Larraz

(Cuban, born 1944)

Julio Larraz is a Cuban painter best known for his realistic depictions of everyday life in the Caribbean. Influenced by Surrealism and Giorgio de Chirico in particular, Larraz’s work features Cuban cultural imagery such as bull fights, white linen suits, and maritime scenes. Though he often alludes to the corruption of political and social power, the cropped compositions and obscured faces render the narratives of his paintings ambiguous. In Above Suspicion (2007), a sinister-looking woman in sunglasses—who appears in many of Larraz’s paintings—is walking towards a black limousine surrounded by bodyguards and journalists, leaving the interpretation of this scene up for debate. Born on March 12, 1944 in Havana, Cuba, Larraz left for Miami in 1961 and traveled on to New York, where he studied with notable illustrators such as David Levine. His work is included in collections around the world, such as the Museo de Monterrey in Mexico, the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and The Museo de Arte Moderno in Bogota. He lives and works in Miami, FL.