Carlos Gamez de Francisco (b. 1987, Holguín, Cuba) lives and works in Fort Myers, FL, and Louisville, KY. Raised in Cuba amid strict cultural censorship, he grew up in a world where Western music—and even the voices of Cuban exiles—were forbidden. Still, he found ways to listen, discovering in those fragile, hidden sounds a deep longing for expression. Art became his freedom. With scarce supplies, he improvised from an early age—mixing watercolor with toothpaste, using diesel oil when linseed oil was unavailable, and painting on his mother’s blankets primed with house paint. Today, Gamez de Francisco works across diverse media, from watercolor and ink on paper to wood, wool-felting, and large-scale wall paintings. His practice celebrates experimentation, imagination, and the belief that creativity has no borders—offering art as an act of joy and liberation. His work is held in numerous collections, including 21c Museum (Louisville, KY); the Fashion Resource Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art (KY); the Evansville Museum of Arts (IN); the Muhammad Ali Museum (KY); the Jasteka Cultural Center (IN); and Louisville Metro Hall (KY). Exhibitions include Art Miami (2024); Taipei International Convention Center (2023); Art Market San Francisco (2022); Scope–Art Basel Miami (2022, 2021, 2012); Context Art Miami (2016); Art Southampton (2015); and Art Palm Beach (2014). Southampton (2015); and Art Palm Beach (2014).