
Esaí Alfredo in front of his painting La Canción. Image via Instagram @spinelloprojects @esai_alfredo.
In 2023, he exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, where the entire booth sold out within the first hour of the VIP preview.
Meet Boricua artist Esaí Alfredo, the “next big queer figurative painter,” according to a recent article on Artnet.
The multidisciplinary artist from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, currently resides in Miami, where he explores themes of identity, culture, and the human condition in his work that has garnered attention at some of the biggest art fairs in the country.
Alfredo began making art at an early age by copying scenes from movies to paper, which would significantly influence his current work, he says on his website.
From 2011 to 2015, Esaí attended Escuela Especializada en Bellas Artes Anita Otero, in Humacao. After finishing high school, he took advanced drawing courses at Atelier San Juan, under the guidance of Luis Borrero and Amber Lea Kloppel. He then went to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he graduated with a BFA in illustration and painting (2020).
In 2022, he did a residency in Miami, and a year later he exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, where the entire booth sold out within the first hour of the VIP preview.
Alfredo is currently represented by Spinello Projects. His most recent solo show was Caminos Hacia El Mundo Nocturno/Roads to the Nocturnal World at The Armory Show, SOLO sector, in New York, in September of 2024. This collection of paintings features realistic characters amid surreal and otherworldly backgrounds.
“While each series of images I have created tells a unique story, light pollution and the detachment of humankind from the cosmos is always a vital element in my stories,” he said in an artist’s statement.
His paintings openly depict queer content, something that wasn’t always the case, the artist said.
“I would have hints of queerness in my paintings, but not very obvious,” Alfredo told Artnet. “I think growing up religious affected that. I felt guilty at some point in life painting stuff like that. So, I would just do landscapes and a lot of self-portraits. I still do self-portraits, but it’s not how my paintings are self-portraits now. I feel like I was doing them because I was trying to say something to people. Self-portrait painting is like a diary for most artists, so they’re telling how they’re feeling. But then I did that painting, and I felt so comfortable, so there was nothing to hide anymore.”
RELATED: 6 Boricua women in bellas artes you should know
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Floridians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at Floricua has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Florida families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.


5 interesting facts about Puerto Rico’s iconic San Sebastián festival
This year’s edition will honor José Vega Santana, better known as the Payaso Remi; Olympic medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn; and rapper Vico C. The...

Puerto Rican TV viewers get a Bad Bunny surprise as he promotes new album
The 17-track album is rich with traditional Puerto Rican sounds and issues, serving as a heartfelt love letter to the island. In recent days, Bad...

5 places in Florida to donate clothes, shoes, and more
Decluttering your home can provide such a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. After sorting through all of your belongings and determining what...

8 Orlando hotels that pack as much fun as the theme parks
With waterslides, family arcades, playgrounds for the kids, and spas for mom and dad, these Orlando hotels will make your vacation unforgettable!...