"I was born in Havana, Cuba in September, 1962. My childhood was filled with good times spent at the beach. Those days seemed so wonderful. The Caribbean Ocean is magnificent. The endless sunny days with cool breezes are my favorite memories. The colors of this Caribbean island were so vibrant and alive that they continue to inspire my work today. At the same time, the Cuban revolution had a progressively negative impact on my family and I. Not being part of the communist party, we were constantly harassed. My school years were full of fear and intimidation. Finally, in 1980, during the Mariel exodus, we were allowed to leave the island in fishing boats. I am a U. S. citizen now and I have lived in Los Angeles since my arrival in the United States.

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Growing up as a child, I didn’t have the opportunity to come in contact with art due to the social and family problems I experienced. I have always felt that I had a lot of creative energy, but I never knew how to channel that energy. Becoming an artist has been a long, slow and challenging process. The first and most difficult challenge I faced, was to break away from the Cuban machismo mentality that kept me from pursuing my artistic passion.

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After an inspiring spiritual vision in 1994, I was able to express myself artistically as I had never done before. It was not something I chose. Instead, it flowed from my great desire to express myself. The blank canvas was simply going to be the avenue for my expression." - Adolfo Girala