Havana, December 6th – With fashion, music, and the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the 27th International Handicraft Fair Fiart 2025 was inaugurated today in this capital city, an event enjoyed by Cuban families.
The Cultural Station at Línea and 18 hosted the evening before a fashion show presenting the collection Texturas by Maya Sierra, as a prelude to honoring several creators for their excellence in craftsmanship and contributions to Cuban art and culture.
Luis Octavio Hernández was awarded for his outstanding leadership in promoting handicrafts in Matanzas, the province honored by the fair, and for carrying out artistic and social projects.
José Miguel Rodríguez, from Sancti Spíritus, was also recognized for the excellent craftsmanship with carved wood and the revival of traditional objects.
Omar David Pérez, from Havana, was awarded for the quality of his furniture designs and manufacturing aimed at different uses, as well as for leading the Ensamble interior furniture and design project.
Joining them was Martha Petrona Jiménez, from Camagüey, for her contributions as a sculptor and ceramist with a personal touch in designing characters based on traditional popular culture.
Also recognized was Zenén Calero, from Matanzas, for highlighting artisanal techniques in his work as a scenic designer and his role as a designer for Ediciones Vigía.
Hilda Rosa Peña, from Havana, was honored for her excellence in updating guayabera designs as a typical Cuban garment; and Víctor Jesús González, from Pinar del Río, for his dedication to working with ceramics as an expression of popular craftsmanship.
Similarly, Félix García received the award for his significant and long-standing leadership at the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets (FCBC) in Matanzas, and for his contribution to the promotion and commercialization development of visual arts and handicrafts in that province.
In her opening remarks, the general director of the FCBC, Martha Ibis Sánchez, highlighted the successful realization of Fiart despite difficult circumstances, as well as the challenge posed by the venue change just weeks before the event's opening.
“Inaugurating the fair also implies an act of decolonization, resistance, and unity. What else are the handicrafts and cultural products we offer today if not the original and diverse expression of works created by the hands of ordinary men and women from our communities?” she added.
She emphasized the warm reception of the call to this event, which aims to be not only a commercial action but also a major cultural initiative.
The ceremony was presided over by Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman, Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso, President of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac) Marta Bonet, President of the Cuban Association of Artisan Artists (ACAA) Roberto Ripoll, among other cultural figures in the country.
