Cuban artist turns tobacco leaves into works of art

Artist Milton Bernal, 63, places wet tobacco leaves over sketches of famous figures associated with Cuba - from revolutionary icon Che Guevara to 20th-century American novelist Ernest Hemingway, who lived in the capital Havana for two decades.

Artist Milton Bernal places wet tobacco leaves on top of a sketch

The artwork takes on the amber color of dried tobacco leaves, highlighting the texture of the veins, a technique that Bernal says makes his work unique.

"Tobacco is a symbol of our national identity. I turned it into an art form, harmless enough for everyone to enjoy," he said of one of Cuba's biggest and most famous exports.

He uses a proprietary chemical formula to maintain the elasticity, color and shape of the tobacco leaves.

Tobacco grows well in most of the western half of the Caribbean island nation and especially in the province of Pinar del Rio, which produces some of the finest tobacco and cigars in the world .

Bernal regularly travels there to collect the large leaves discarded during the cigar-making process. He sorts them by color to match his artwork, then sells them to restaurants, cigar shops and hotels throughout Havana and around the world.

Works by Milton Bernal

Using a process Bernal created more than 20 years ago, he uses a proprietary chemical formula to maintain the elasticity, color and shape of the tobacco leaves, which he then lays on a cloth and lets dry.

"It does not deteriorate over time, regardless of environmental conditions. The work is simply preserved in a natural way," the artist said.

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