Carlos R. Mayol
Carlos R. Mayol (b. 1956, Havana, Cuba) is a Miami-based photographer. He learned the art of photography from his father in his native Cuba, where the foundations of his craft were built on familial ties and a deep love for the visual medium. Over the years, he honed his skills as a photojournalist, working for Havana’s Advertisement Enterprise, and becoming one of the founding photojournalists for Tribuna de La Habana, one of the city’s prominent newspapers. His career has spanned several decades, marked by personal and collective exhibitions across the globe, including in Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Paraguay, Italy, Germany, England, and the USA.
Since the late 1990s, Carlos has resided and worked in Miami, Florida. In contrast, his work continues to be housed in notable collections worldwide, including the Fototeca de Cuba, Fototeca del INAH in Pachuca, Mexico, Centro Garibaldi in Italy, and The Merrill Collection in California, USA.
Sources:
Interview with the photographer, July 2021.
Diccionario Histórico de la Fotografía Cubana, Ramón Cabrales, Arista Publishing LLC, 2016.
Instagram: @mayolalcuadrado
Carlos R. Mayol left Cuba in search of a broader world—a world full of possibilities where he could try his luck and start anew. However, despite the miles between him and his homeland, Cuba never left him. It lives within him, not only through memories and experiences but, most poignantly, in his photographs. His images capture the essence of Cuba: the life he lived, the country he imagined, and the stories he continues to invent. With every frame, Carlos communicates with passion, nostalgia, and an undeniable joy.
His face lights up as he recalls learning photography from his father, the man who passed on this passion to both Carlos and his brother, also a photographer. In those moments of teaching, his father gave them a gift, one that would shape their lives forever. Through Carlos's lens, the streets of Havana come alive, reflecting the everyday people, their humor, their resilience, and their unique outlook on life. His photographs speak to the occurrences and eccentricities of Cuban life, always tinged with irony, sarcasm, and a touch of disbelief, giving his work a uniquely personal narrative.
Many of his images challenge us to pause and reflect, to engage in debate, and to question a reality that seems both familiar and foreign. Carlos’s work offers an invitation to contemplate not just Cuba as it is but also as it could be—a reality filtered through his lens, both tender and ironic, rich with history, and brimming with imagination.
