Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Alfonzo, Carlos
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
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Description area
Dates of existence
1950-1991
History
Carlos Alfonzo (1950-1991) was a Cuban-born artist whose work blended Catholicism, Afro-Cuban Santería, mysticism, and personal symbolism to explore themes of exile, spirituality, and mortality. Born in Havana, he earned degrees from the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro and the University of Havana before leaving Cuba in 1980 via the Mariel Boatlift. Settling in Miami, he quickly gained recognition, receiving fellowships from the CINTAS Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His prolific career included paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and public murals, most notably "Ceremony of the Tropics" at Miami's Santa Clara Metrorail Station. Alfonzo's work was featured in major exhibitions, culminating in his inclusion in the 1991 Whitney Biennial, which opened shortly after his death. His art is represented in major collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Places
Havana, Cuba
Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
Miami, Florida
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
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Control area
Authority record identifier
Maintained by
Institution identifier
CHC5619
Rules and/or conventions used
Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Status
Draft
Level of detail
Partial
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Authority record created by Juan Villanueva, August 2025.