Photographer Documents Dazzling Designs of Cuba’s Mosaic and Tile Floors

For years, travel-loving photographer Sebastian Erras has creatively captured the artistic flair of cities around the world. While his portfolio includes everything from symmetrical shots of Lisbon's decorated storefronts to polychromatic pictures of a pop-up basketball court in Paris, he is most well-known for Parisian Floors, an ongoing series inspired by his love of mosaic art. Though usually set in European locations like Barcelona, Venice, and London, Erras' most recent incarnation of this project has brought him to colorful and culturally-rich Cuba.

Like his past series showcasing floors around the world, Cuban Floors documents Erras' travels as he sets foot upon the country's most spectacular Technicolor tiles. Set in historic cities like Havana, Santa Clara, and Trinidad, his photographs showcase elements of Cuba's signature aesthetic, characterized by carnaval-like colors, decorative patterns, and Spanish-inspired motifs.

While Erras' photographs from this trip may look effortless, he did face some challenges while shooting in the country's capital city. “Havana has some incredible beautiful tile floors, but they are a bit more difficult to spot compared to the other cities in Cuba,” he explains on Instagram. “Main reason being that most of the apartments are situated on the first or second floor and [therefore] it’s hard the get a peek inside from the street.” Fortunately, Erras was able to work around this inconvenience, culminating in a collection that captures Cuba's most outstanding—and overlooked—hidden gems.

You can see the entire Cuban Floors series on Erras' Instagram.

Fascinated by floors around the world, photographer Sebastian Erras has captured the colorful culture of Cuba through its mosaic tile floors.

Sebastian Erras: Website | Instagram

Related Articles:

Illustrated Typographic Floor Mosaics Document Designer’s Journey Around the World

Artist Spray Paints Colorful Tiles on Floors of Abandoned Buildings

Cinematic Portraits Capture the Warm Glow of the Streets and People of Cuba

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou was a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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