Ana Rosa Díaz Naranjo
Painter, Writer
Cuba
Ana is the author of numerous books, including most recently “La ruta del encuentro” (Platero CoolBooks, Spain, 2023), “Monte adentro” (Élida Ediciones, Madrid, 2023), “Glosar el viento” (Editorial Primigenios, USA, 2022), “Rani y la charca misteriosa” (Editorial Primigenios, USA, 2020), and “El hueco,” (Ilíada Ediciones, Alemania, 2019). She is a member of the International Puppetry Association and a delegate of the Spanish Chapter of The Cove/Rincón (a cultural group headquartered in the United States).
In December 2020, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) threatened Ana’s expulsion due to her public support of the San Isidro Movement and other independent creatives on the island. Holding firm in her beliefs, Ana resigned from UNEAC, which she noted provoked various threats, interrogations, and other forms of harassment against her. On July 11, 2021, during historic mass peaceful demonstrations in Cuba, Ana reported that the Cuban government blocked the entrance to her home, threatening her and her family.
After years of sustained harassment and surveillance, Ana made the difficult decision in 2022 to go into exile, moving to Madrid, Spain, where she was finally able to reunite with her husband, the independent writer, Rafael Vilches Proenza. While the experience of living in exile has been heartbreaking in many ways, it has also allowed Ana to create art freely in a way she had never felt possible in Cuba. “There is not a moment of my days that I don’t remember making art,” said Ana in an interview with ARC.
Ana has not stopped advocating for Cuban artists and the respect of human rights in the country. Recently, she participated in a public reading in Madrid sharing work by the imprisoned poet, María Cristina Garrido. María Cristina is one of many cases highlighted in PEN International, ARC, and Civil Rights Defenders’ #VocesPresas campaign. In solidarity with María Cristina, Ana recited María’s poetry written from behind bars.
As a recipient of ARC and PEN International’s Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship, Ana found a studio where she and other Cuban artists living in exile can create in community, resulting in “Proyecto Élida”. The walls were covered in dozens of unique artworks by members of the Cuban diaspora. The works present critical themes related to the Cuban community in Madrid, inviting those to reflect on Cubans’ daily struggles.