Meet the Artist

                                                    

 

Jose R. Urbay is a Nova Scotia based Cuban born visual artist. His artwork has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Havana, Madrid, Venice, and Vancouver. He finds inspiration in his personal experiences, spirituality, nostalgia, and the beautiful Nova Scotia landscape. Some of his work is held in private collections in United States, Cuba, Norway, and Italy.

Surrealism and Cuban painters have had a strong influence in the development of his early style. After moving to Nova Scotia, he started to capture the surrounding landscapes and flora with his camera (sometimes even his cellphone) and then translating those references into artworks, which offer a personal view of a fleeting moment or feeling, a visual journal. He uses mainly oil pigments on canvas, and ink on paper.

Urbay was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, where he studied Graphic Design at the Instituto Superior de Diseño. Throughout his career, his artwork has been published, exhibited, and awarded. It has been featured in a myriad of publications, from children’s books to poetry magazines and catalogues. In 2008, he moved to Canada, making this country his new home and source of inspiration. He is currently based in Kentville, Nova Scotia, where he is creating a new body of work inspired by the beauty of the Maritimes.

Jose's work can be found at Teichert Gallery in Halifax, as well as in Tides Art Gallery in Kentville.

Jose is a member of Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS). He is also a juried member of Craft Nova Scotia.