2021 Emilio Sanchez Stamps

2021 Emilio Sanchez

Honors Emilio Sanchez, the first Cuban American artist to have his work pictured on US postage stamps
Issued on Sanchez’s 100th birth anniversary

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 10, 2021
First Day City: Miami, Florida
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag

History the stamp represents: Wherever he went, Emilio Sanchez (1921-99) was drawn to the geometry of architecture. From the colonial buildings of his Cuban homeland, to New York skyscrapers, and run-down shacks in the Caribbean – he saw the beauty in them all. And he captured that beauty in his own distinct way – as if he painted a dream or a memory.

Growing up in Cuba, Sanchez displayed an early talent for art, which his family encouraged. He studied art in America, making frequent visits home, before settling in New York in 1952. At times, he painted still lifes and portraits of friends. But he was always drawn to architecture and the shapes created by light and shadows. Sanchez painted full buildings and cityscapes, but also focused in on smaller details like awnings, windows, and open doors. While not part of any abstract movement, his art grew more abstract over time. Sanchez removed extraneous details and created scenes that disregarded the laws of physics. Though he based his work on real buildings, the final paintings were their own entities – symbols of buildings, but not copies of them. His style gave his paintings a dreamlike quality, as if he captured scenes from another world.

Sanchez had more than 60 solo exhibitions and his works reside in more than 30 museums. Since 2005, his foundation has supported and honored independent artists in his name. And in 2021, he became the first Cuban American artist to be featured on US stamps – giving millions of Americans the opportunity to discover and share his unique artworks.