el sirio
Josvedy Jove Junco, known as El Sirio, draws picturesque imaginary characters from invented stories. In his works, real and fantastical situations intertwine, as does writing, which is an inseparable element of his graphic work.
From a young age, his mother nurtured his passion for reading by filling his room with numerous old books on various subjects, with history books being his favorites. After his mother’s passing, when he was still a child, Josvedy grew up with his father in an environment marked by mood swings that were daunting for those around him. Later, following a career in the military, he acquired a small piece of farmland, which is now operated as a farm near Havana and serves as the family’s primary source of income.
Josvedy is a great storyteller, capable of narrating his own tales for hours with such confidence and mastery of their details that they seem undeniably true. He fills notebooks with writings and drawings, combining text and images into an inseparable visual whole. In these notebooks, every square inch is covered with his overwhelming script, imbued with a strong suggestive power, where he recounts stories blending verified facts with legends. He assigns himself various roles, each adorned with the prestige of scholars—Nobel Prize winner, “Prince of England” (speaking a dozen languages), inventor, and more.
His work has a distinctive formal aspect: the uniqueness of his handwriting, reminiscent of medieval manuscripts, is combined with heavy-handed gestures that sometimes wear down the paper. Although the precise moment he began writing and drawing is unknown, the accumulation of notebooks and the density of his works attest to his urgent need for expression. A recent notebook, for instance, reveals giant silhouettes created in pastel or ballpoint pen, seemingly watermarking the paper, while an almost illegible script runs across it, printed on both the front and back of each page. The whole evokes a vast symphony, whose resonance seems perceptible only to the author, with instruments that suggest power—more brass than strings.
It is also worth noting that Josvedy Jove Junco has suffered from paranoid episodes and hallucinations since childhood, elements that fuel the complexity and intensity of his work.
