Alexis Rodríguez-Duarte and Tico Torres are New York Emmy Award® winning art photographers, and filmmakers born in Havana, Cuba and are the authors of a book entitled, Presenting Celia Cruz. In 1968 Rodríguez-Duarte and his parents were among Cuban exiles who left the island aboard the humanitarian air lifts called the Freedom Flights. Rodriguez–Duarte’s family settled in Miami’s Little Havana community and at the age of eight, was given his first camera by his grandfather, which led to his love affair with photography. Today, he is an internationally renowned photographer known for his elegant fashion photographs, conceptual art photos, male nudes and celebrity portraiture. Rodriguez-Duarte in collaboration with his husband of 41years, Tico Torres have photographed some of the world’s leading artists, celebrities and public figures such as Jeff Koons, Madonna, Maurizio Cattelan, Rachel Feinstein, Daniel Arsham, Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Carolina Herrera, Shakira, Gloria Vanderbilt and Enrique Iglesias among many others. Their photos have appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Out, People, The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar Art China, Elle Men China, Rolling Stone China and the British, French, German and Spanish editions of Vogue, among other major publications and international advertising campaigns for designers such as Paul Smith for his Autumn/Winter 2020 campaign. Their work is in many private and public collections and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris, France), the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology, New York), the Jewish Museum (New York City), the Annenberg Space for Photography (Los Angeles), Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Havana, Cuba), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Havana Biennial, Lowe Art Museum at University of Miami, Museum of the City of New York, Fototeca de Cuba (Havana, Cuba), Museo de Arte de Ponce (Puerto Rico), El Museo Latino (Omaha, Nebraska), the Bass Museum (Miami Beach), the Cuban Museum (Miami), Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, Texas), Museum of Art & Design (Miami), the Miami-Dade Public Library System, the Bronx Museum, the Coral Gables Museum and the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art (New York). They have been adjunct professors at the International Center for Photography (ICP) in NYC and have lectured at The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, The Annenberg Space for Photography, The International Center for Photography (ICP), Miami International Book Fair, The Cuban Heritage Collection at University of Miami, The Museum of the City of New York, The Latino Museum (Omaha, NE), and The New School (NYC) among others. Their portrait of artist, Emilio Sanchez was chosen by the United States Postal Service for the panel sheet accompanying Sanchez’s stamps and commemorating his centennial, and their portraits of legendary Cuban singer, Celia Cruz were the inspiration for the US Mint’s Women Quarter Series which included Celia and her battlecry ¡Azúcar!, making her the first Afro-Latina to appear on US currency. They were awarded a NY Emmy in 2025 for a show televised on CUNY TV entitled, Nueva York, produced by Diana Vargas.
Rodriguez-Duarte and Torres have been documenting the Cuban diaspora since 1993 for a portrait series entitled, Cuba Out of Cuba. Torres and his family were also among Cuban exiles who left the island on the Freedom Flights and eventually settled in Miami’s Hialeah community. Torres, a fashion stylist who is a master of the mise-en-scène, helped create the scene with Rodriguez-Duarte of the joyous image of Celia Cruz standing amid the towering palms of Fairchild Tropical Garden in a traditional ruffled Cuban “guarachera” gown which the National Portrait Gallery has called the iconic photograph of Celia. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery now has a portfolio of 18 portraits from the Cuba Out of Cuba series in their permanent collection. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino will feature a portrait and wardrobe worn by Cuban singer, Albita for an upcoming exhibition in Spring 2026 entitled, ¡Puro Ritmo!
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS:
Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.
Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington D.C.
The Coral Gables Museum, Coral Gables, Florida
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
The Museum at FIT, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
The Jewish Museum, New York
Museum of the City of New York
Cuban Heritage Collection at University of Miami
Lehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, Miami, Florida
Miami Dade Public Library, Miami, Florida
LnS Gallery Miami, Florida
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba
The Tower Theatre, Little Havana, Miami
The Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Fototeca de Cuba, Havana, Cuba
Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas
Queens Museum of Art, New York
Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Blanton Museum, University of Texas, Austin
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York
El Museo del Barrio, New York, New York
Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington, Indiana
Kinsey Institute, Bloomington, Indiana
Museum of the Cuban Diaspora “The Cuban”, Miami, Florida
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, New York
Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico
Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame, Indiana
The University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois
Syracuse University Art Galleries, New York
University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyoming
CLIENTS INCLUDE:
Abercrombie & Fitch
Advocate
Billboard
British GQ
British Vogue
Condé Nast Traveler
ELLE Men China
EMI Records
Esquire
Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar Art China
Interview
Latina
L'Oréal
L'Uomo Vogue
Miami International Film Festival
Neiman Marcus
New Yorker
New York Times
Ocean Drive
Out
Paul Smith
People Magazine
Sony Music
Town & Country
United States Postal Service
Vanity Fair
Vogue España
Vogue Paris
Vogue Germany
Wallpaper Magazine
Women’s Entertainment Channel
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