Stirring, sensuous, quizzical, and bursting with talent, Cuba’s artists hail from an island of resourcefulness, using found objects, generations of recycled materials and the country’s can-do approach. Some are formally trained, many self-taught, and the dynamism of their work is unmatched. Deceptively simple in appearance, painstakingly complex in execution, Cuban artist Leandro Gomez Quintero’s cars and trucks are uncanny replicas of the island country’s crazy mixed up automotive works. Made from humility and pride, Quintero builds his lightweight sculptures with paper, cardboard, and other materials to demonstrate Cubans’ staying power, no matter how meager the resources. His artistic process alone certainly conveys it. He creates each part — a worn tire, a cracked steering wheel, wires from the undercarriage, and leather seats split from years of weather and weight. Every piece is hand created from found materials, then meticulously assembled, and painted. Quintero focuses on sixty-year-old-plus Dodges, Jeeps and other American makers that Cubans keep going with their robust spare parts industry (it’s far bigger than the country’s sales of cars). His message, of course, is Cuba’s long isolation from the United States. The boat holding the jeep is a jarring reminder of vessels Cubans will risk to flee the island. Spending a week to a month on each piece, Quintero draws on something else: perspective and patience. He lives in Baracoa, a town in eastern Cuba, where he taught philosophy at the Center of Medical Sciences and serves as a delegate to Cuba’s Municipal Assembly of the People’s Power. PBS recently broadcast a remarkable special featuring the artist's work, where and how he lives.