The art world lost a gem last week.

Mario Algaze, born in Havana, Cuba, arrived in the U.S. in 1960, after the Cuban Revolution. In his twenties, he learned photography and found his passion.

His portraits of musicians and other celebrities were published in magazines including Zoo World. He then traveled Latin America, including a return trip to Cuba in 1999.

During this period of his career, he discovered the perfect light to illustrate the diverse cultures of Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Panama, Brazil, and many surrounding Latin countries. Early in the morning he masterfully captured the architecture of the cities and the beauty of the landscapes. His images witness quiet, contemplative moments in time, usually without human presence.

Mario received Fellowships in photography, including the National Endowment for the Arts. His photographs are in major museum collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museo Tamayo, Mexico City, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and most recently the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College.

We met Mario and his wife, Consuelo, in 2007 in Miami during an art fair. Mario was full of energy and delight when he discovered Esteban Pastorino Diaz’s work in our booth at Art Miami. We began dialogue and he then introduced us to his friends that were in the Miami art world.

A few months later we were happy to start representing his work in the gallery. Since then, Mario loved to call us often to find out how the gallery was doing, and he often had some gossip. He always discussed politics. One year we were surprised with a gift of papayas from his tree in Miami.

But several months ago the calls stopped and we knew that must be a sign. His health declined and he left the earth last week. We will miss him and cherish his images. Thank you, Mario, for showing us your respect for Light.

Missy & Burt Finger