Mike Heath – The Cuban mixture

Mike Heath – The Cuban mixture

By Kaymir Stark

For most people Cuba is just one vintage postcard with old cars, old people and old buildings. Everything is old and on the verge of breaking down. But in reality that is just the facade (or the lack of in a way). London based photographer Mike Heath captured Cuba in a way I’ve never seen before. He makes it feel so damn crispy and clean! This is very high quality travel photography and a huge inspiration for me personally!

Havana street corner
Havana street corner

“Every scene is a surreal mixture of incredible, often dilapidated, architecture, 1950’s American cars that belch thick clouds of black smoke, murals that celebrate the Cuban revolution and faded shop signs look like they belong to the 70’s.”

Street in Havana, Cuba
Street in Havana, Cuba

“Arriving in Cuba you are instantly struck by just how rich, colourful and eclectic the aesthetic is, but what makes Cuba unique is that all its history seems to exist simultaneously. Every scene is a surreal mixture of incredible, often dilapidated, architecture, 1950’s American cars that belch thick clouds of black smoke, murals that celebrate the Cuban revolution and faded shop signs look like they belong to the 70’s.

Wood workshop
Wood workshop
Havana see wall The Malecón
Havana see wall The Malecón

It’s against this strange but familiar backdrop that Cubans go about their daily lives. Old men play dominoes, women chat on doorsteps, teenagers hang out along the seafront and the kids play marbles in the street. People say that Cuba is stuck in a time warp, I don’t think it is, it’s just that everywhere you look Cuba’s past is present”

Birdcage in Cuba
Birdcage in Cuba
Cuban Bike park
Cuban Bike park
Car Workshop in Cuba
Car Workshop in Cuba