José María Mijares Fernández was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1921. He began artistic studies in 1936 at the School of Art of San Alejandro in Havana, where his professors included Romañach, Menocal, Valderrama, Ramon Loy, and Caravia. Mijares himself credits one of his most influential professors, Ponce, with helping him develop his own style of expression.

He is world renowned for his mastery of oil painting and his pioneering exploration of geometric abstraction in Cuban art of the 1950’s; which let to his neo-baroque compositions developed during his exile period out of Cuba. Mijares influential career placed him in the group of Master Cuban artists.