"I modeled for Lili a couple of times on some of these wonderful pieces that she has. I played the slave in a couple of her recent pieces . . . I was honored. We were taking it to Africa that day. We sure did.

I think about what I love so much about your art. I'm a colorful person, and I just love colors so much. Every color in the color spectrum I just love. You seem to just pick it all up. To watch you blend those colors and make colors come up, and things like that, is something that I really enjoy. It is such an honor to be in love with your art." VIRGINIA WATSON , Actor/Writer/Producer

Click here for Virginia Watson's video comment and webpage link.

"Beautiful work, Lili! The Celia Cruz portrait is fierce!!!" CHAKA KAHN, Ten-time Grammy Award Winner. Chaka's website.

"I see a lot of images in your paintings, a lot of iconography, a lot of story. This one ["Carnaval en la Trocha"], I’m really attracted to; the colors and the joy of life. There’s just everybody in it, dancing . . . and colors. I can see this one on my wall in my living room. I could just watch it all day. There are so many things in it. It really makes you feel good, the colors. You’re really selective in terms of color. You just have a celebratory atmosphere about it.  It just comes out." CHARLES BURNETT, Filmmaker.

Click here for Charles Burnett's video comment and his website link.

"What impresses me with your painting is the depth, the historical depth, the colors that speak of the pain of our history, and the depth with which you portray the past. Though there is pain in the eyes of those people who are suffering, you can see that there's a tomorrow. There's hope. You can see that in everyone of your paintings. There's pain, very strong colors, but there's always hope. Your colors are very strong, very powerful, and I like your motifs, because you're not afraid. You're not afraid to put flowers in with pain and with slaves and everything. I love that, the way you have flowers, you have birds, there's everything together. It's very powerful painting, very interesting painting. I like the fact that you're very -- in French you would say "Ossé," which means you're daring -- you see, you're not afraid. Your painting is a painting which has nothing to do with fear." DR. CARLOS MOORE, Author/Ethnologist/Political scientist.

Click here for Carlos Moore's video comment and his website link.

"It's important work; the paintings, and the story is one that we don't often hear; the link between Africans in America and the Afro-Cuban experience. It's an important story to tell; the embrace of Castro by the left, the progressive black community and the iconic image of "Che" that we see over and over and over again and which was unfortunately, in my opinion, kind of copied in this most recent election with Obama, and I would hate that there be any comparison between the two . . . the racism that exists in Cuba, the oppression of artists there, of people speaking their minds, of really progressive ideas in music and the arts. The work that Lili is doing, telling that story through the painting ["Che Chango: Rendezvous en La Habana 2013"], in documenting that experience, the Afro-Cuban and the Afro-American experience, is very important. The artwork is beautiful as well. You have a really powerful message on top of something that is aesthetically pleasing." Joseph C. Phillips, Actor/Author/Columnist

Click here for Joseph C. Phillip's video comment and his website link.

"The painting ["Carnaval en La Trocha"] is full of energy. It's very vibrant. It's very musical. It captures the essence of what I want to do with my music. When I saw it; it looked like what my music sounds like. It's the equivalent of what I do, but in painting. I found an affinity between my project and the painting. This painting is very special. It captures the essence of Cuban music." Paul De Castro, Musician/Composer/Professor

Click here for Paul De Castro's video comment and his website link.

For other Lili Bernard videos click here.