If there is a culture that causes fascination, for its pyramids and mysteries, it is the Egyptian one. But, from there, to feel the land of Cleopatra as if it were an extension of our own, there is a long way to go. A man from Chaparra has made the homeland of the Nile his second home and, sometimes in Cuba, other times there, he leaves his mark in the reproduction of Egyptian antiquities, a unique talent in our country.

This is Yoandri Pérez Hernández, who has donated pieces of his work to the Egypt Room conceived in the Major General Vicente García provincial museum, of which he has been one of its promoters. How does a boy (not even four decades old) get from a rural village to the Egyptian diplomatic headquarters in Cuba and the heart of another country? Join us...

- Yoandri, what is the origin of this passion?

When I was six years old, my mother gave me an Illustrated Bible. Seeing scenes of the Egyptian princess taking Moses to the palace, where columns with hieroglyphics could be seen, caught my attention. Since then, I have become interested in related publications. As I showed interest in the plasticine arts, I went to the cultural center in my town and, with the help of instructors, I learned about technique, perspective, drawing... Those were my beginnings in art.

Then, I took clay and made my first figures inspired by Egypt. I modeled, for example, some pharaohs. I also participated in provincial events, winning awards. I remember a piece I made on a stone in front of my house. I sculpted the head of Ramses II, a pharaoh I admire.

- And what attracts you most to this culture?

On the one hand, the Islamic religion, which I have practiced for more than five years, since I am a Muslim. But, in general, it's culture, especially mythology and art. I am passionate about the precision and quality of its creation since all its works are distinguished.
Egypt is an identity for me, although I do not deny my roots as a Cuban. It is also a way of connecting with the ancients. I have lost count of the number of objects I have reproduced, but I do not sell them. On the contrary, I have given pieces to friends from various countries.

For example, I enjoyed making the collection of treasures of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. I have also reproduced rings, tomb artifacts, ceremonial daggers, and gold objects that were placed in the embalming process... Some I have made in sheets of aluminum and covered with gold paint. My work can be found in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Morocco, Germany and Egypt. I am happy when people like the result.

- Did you study art at an academy?

I wanted to go to the Academy of Fine Arts in Holguín, but when I went there they had already closed the registration. But I continued on my path and studied Medical Sciences. I graduated with a degree in Clinical Psychology and practiced the profession until recently. However, while I was in 'Medical Sciences', I escaped to the once-existing Provincial Academy of Fine Arts in Las Tunas, where - without being enrolled - I took notes from classes that students received there. That is how I acquired other knowledge. At the same time, I studied Arabic on my own. I was especially interested in calligraphy and art.

- What distinguishes the profession of reproducing Egyptian antiquities?

The work consists of copying a piece as faithfully as possible, but also respecting the work, honoring traditions, traveling to the past, feeling the work of the ancients, and learning... I try to take care of shapes, strokes, pigmentation, and other features. To select the object to work on, I look it up on Google or in printed literature. And, in addition to the creation, I study the author, period, meaning, characteristics... In this, I have had good teachers, but the Cuban Egyptologist Julia Calzadilla Núñez stands out, as my Egyptology tutor until now.

- I understand that you have exhibited your works in various places...

Yes, that's right. The Major General Vicente García Provincial Museum is one of those places. The Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage supported me from the beginning and, thanks to that, I was able to hold my first exhibition there. I have also sent letters to different institutions, which has opened doors for me. Eusebio Leal, once I wrote to the Office of the Historian of Havana, responded by highlighting the importance of my work. In addition, the Fernando Ortiz African Cultural Center in Santiago de Cuba was interested in this work and three of its specialists came to my town, to make the documentary Egypt in Me, which was presented in Camagüey, at El Almacén de la Imagen.

Afterward, I participated in an international event in Havana, where I showed 13 reproductions and donated pieces to the Casa del África because I realized that there was no Egyptian art there. As a result of that, I was contacted by the Egyptian ambassador in Cuba, who was His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Hisham. That was an important step for my work to be known at the diplomatic headquarters. Since then I have been there many times. I have also had a nice friendship with the next Egyptian ambassador in Cuba, His Excellency Mr. Maher El Adawy, who appointed me as cultural advisor of the Egyptian embassy in Cuba.

- All these doors made you step on the land of your dreams...

Yes, that's right. I have had the joy of traveling to Egypt, where I was warmly welcomed by families. The first time I was there, I took off my shoes to feel the ground, I couldn't believe it. I remember that initial impression when I was on my way to the pyramids, where, above the buildings, I could see their peak. How could a man do such a wonder...?!

I have been, for example, to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where I saw chambers with mummies of pharaohs. I could see their faces in person, through glass cases, as happened with Ramses II. Before him, I put my hand on my heart, to revere him as his subjects did. When I did that, a guard called Hassan approached me and asked me what country I was from. I answered: from Cuba, and we spoke in Arabic. Since then, we have been friends.

...
While Yoandri is carrying out legal procedures to obtain Egyptian citizenship, he encourages his dreams, supported not only by alliances but also by results that have earned him a restoration and conservation scholarship at the Grand Egyptian Museum and strengthened ties with a corporation specialized in replicas. He could spend hours talking about pictographs, funeral ceremonies, so many things... It is not strange that on one arm he has the name of a certain country tattooed. "I love Cuba, but Egypt is the homeland of my heart, my treasure," he sums up.