
Bird that Flies over America
1985 · Carved wood, branches, wax, jute thread, and basket elements
68" × 12' 2" × 8 1/2" (172.7 × 370.8 × 21.6 cm)
Museum of Modern Art

Juan Francisco Elso was a Cuban sculptor whose work emerged in the 1980s, engaging with abstraction and spiritual or metaphysical themes through unconventional materials. Working primarily in the postwar period before his early death in 1988, Elso developed a distinctive formal language that moved between geometric and organic forms. His practice reflects the aesthetic ferment of Cuban art during a period of significant cultural isolation and artistic innovation on the island.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago