Bio:
Yusimy Lara is a Miami based visual artist born in Havana, Cuba. Lara spent several years living in Italy where she had the opportunity to experience European cultures and history. After relocating to Miami, her fascination with the power of expression in the visual arts motivated her to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with emphasis in sculpture, at New World School of the Arts.
Deeply inspired by nature, Lara’ creations are made from a variety of materials from bronze to sawdust and usually include an element of danger. Her current artistic practice explores subjects related to human origins, and the interactions between living things and built environments.
Her work has been exhibited in different venues of the Miami area, including the Deering Estate, Lowe Art Museum, Kampong Botanical Garden and Fredric Snitzer Gallery. Her sculptures are part of several art collections, and she is currently coordinating projects for the Art in Public Places program throughout Miami Dade County.
Artist Statement:
My work explores ideas that intrigue me, particularly the interdependence of human-made environments and nature. Using natural and artificial materials, I create sculptures that evoke synergistic relationships between living things and their habitats. I often depict the visual effects of erosion, decomposition, or sedimentation—natural processes that unfold over time and reveal fragments of our planet’s history. Through hand modelling, carving, and lost-wax casting, I develop compositions that symbolize organism-habitat bonds and invite viewers to reflect on the transformation and provenance of matter.
My sculptures reflect on how life has shaped Earth and how humanity continues to transform the natural world. Personal origins also inform my practice, particularly my interest in unconventional Afro-Cuban symbolism. Its inherent beauty recalls early rudimentary crafts, while its use of rocks, plants, and animal remnants aligns with my own material choices. As a child, I understood these symbols as visceral, genuine attempts to connect with the planet’s powers.
I have always been drawn to objects that command attention through the tension between beauty and discomfort. I seek to evoke that same appealing tension as I explore provenance through an artistic practice whose visual narrative conveys reverence. Inspired by science, my current work uses abstract sculptural language to prompt dialogue about our origins and bring them into focus through visual poetry.
Education:
2019 BFA (Valedictorian) University of Florida - New World School of the Arts program, Miami, FL
2016 AA (with distinction), Associate in Arts, Miami Dade College, Miami, FL
2010 Italian Degree, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Upcoming Exhibition:
Dec.
2026 Feria CLANDESTINA, Gold Dust Motel, Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL
Solo Exhibition:
2026 Salvaged: Nature's Readymades, Martin and Pat Fine Center for the Arts, Miami, FL
Group Exhibitions:
2026 The Shapes of Power, University of Miami Art Gallery, Miami, FL
2026 Deering Contemporary: Here We Gather..., Deering Estate, Miami, FL
2026 Sacred Instinct, Mundo Arte Gallery, Miami, FL
2025 Hispanic Heritage, Doral Cultural Arts Center, Miami, FL
2025 Memory that Germinates, Miami International Fine Arts, FL
2025 ArtLab Agency: Artist & Craftsperson, The Lowe Art Museum, Miami, FL
2025 The Unusual Suspects, Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery, FL
2025 Coral Gables State of the Arts, Sanctuary of the Arts, Miami, FL
2023 Between Landscapes and Constellations, Calle Ocho Festival, Miami FL
2022 Beats Link Miami, Sandrell Rivers Theater, Miami FL
2022 The State of the Arts, Sanctuary of the Arts, Miami, FL
2022 littleSCULPTURE, Gardenship, Kearny, NJ
2022 Reimagine the Neighborhood, Sandrell Rivers Theater, Miami FL
2021 The New Age of Bronze, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami FL
2020 Everyone has a Story to Tell, Sagamore Hotel, Miami FL
2019 Objects, Rising Stars Annual Exhibition, NWSA, Miami FL
2019 Gravity Hustle, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami FL
2019 Etcetera, NWSA BFA Show, Mana Contemporary Downtown, Miami FL
2018 Visual Arts, Rising Stars Annual Exhibition, NWSA, Miami FL
2018 Us, Them, and the Rest, Alumni Exhibition, MDC Arts and Letters Day, Miami FL
2018 No Rule, Rule, New World Gallery, Downtown Miami FL
2018 Diaspora 1 & 2, Kampong Botanical Garden (listed as Art Basel Miami events), Miami FL
2017 Disruptions in Paradise, CasaLin (listed as Art Basel Miami events), Wynwood, Miami FL
2016 Emerging Artist, Annual Exhibition, Miami Dade College, Miami FL
2015 Quest for Peace, Martin and Pat Fine Center for the Arts, Miami, FL
2014 Unestablished, Wynwood Warehouse, Miami, FL
Commissions | Collections:
2021 Walid Wahab Art Collection, Miami FL
2020 Ravit Kraus Art Collection, Long Island NY
2019 Paul Berg Art Collection, Miami FL
2019 MDC President Eduardo J. Padron, Miami FL
Awards | Grants:
2024 Miami Individual Artist (MIA) Grant.
2024 Corral and Cathers Artist Fund, Coral Gables Community Foundation.
2022 Miami Individual Artist (MIA) Grant.
2019 Valedictorian, New World School of the Arts.
2017 I Douglas Turner Grant.
2016 New World School of the Arts Scholarship.
2016 Academic Award, Outstanding Art Student, Miami Dade College.
2015 Honorable Mention, Quest for Peace, Martin and Pat Fine Center for the Arts.
Residencies | Art Events | Work Experience:
Associate Artist Residency. (2025 - present) Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL
Studio Residency. (2025 - present) MIFA, Miami, FL.
Special Projects Coordinator. (2023 - present) Miami Dade County, Art in Public Places program. Miami, FL.
Artist Residency. (2022) Oolite Arts Home Away - Atlantic Center for the Arts - New Smyrna Beach, FL.
Artists Open Event. (2021) Fountainhead Arts, Miami, Florida.
Press Release | Bibliography Links
2026 Miami Dade County Press Deering Estate and Miami Dade College Kendall Campus present “Salvaged: Nature’s Readymades” by Yusimy Lara
2026 Deering Estate Museum Deering Estate AT Program: Off-Site Art Exhibits & Partnerships | Deering Estate
2026 VoyageMIA, Magazine Rising Stars: Meet Yusimy Lara of Miami / South Florida – Voyage MIA Magazine | Miami City Guide
2021 Fredric Snitzer Gallery Exhibitions — FREDRIC SNITZER GALLERY
2019 Mindy Solomon Gallery Gravity Hustle: Select 2019 New World School of the Arts Graduates – Mindy Solomon Gallery