José Braulio Bedia Valdés is a Cuban painter currently residing in Florida. Bedia studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes “San Alejandro” and then finished his art studies at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana.
José Bedia: The Island That Died, 1996, acrylic on canvas, 71½ by 103 inches.
In tandem with the December 2022 print edition of A.i.A., the Religion Issue, we revisit this article from the July 1997 issue. Originally published as “Sacred Silhouettes,” the article was penned by Robert Farris Thompson (1932-2021), a longtime Yale University professor and art historian who specialized in African and Afro-Atlantic art. He delved into the multi-medium works of Cuban artist José Bedia and his deep involvement with Afro-Cuban and Native American religions.
José Bedia: Images of the Mountains, 1995, acrylic on canvas, 70½ by 86¼ inches.
