The lovingly restored vintage automobiles still in daily use on the streets of Havana are an iconic symbol of the charm – and the tragedy – of the vibrant Caribbean island of Cuba. When communist rebels overthrew the corrupt and brutal Batista government in 1959, the United States reacted with blockades and sanctions, choking off potential investment and stopping economic development. For six decades, Cuba remained trapped in the nineteen fifties – a living museum of the mid-twentieth century life.

With the lifting of economic sanctions, Cuba is poised to leap forward into the modern age. Collectors are flocking to the island to snap up the classic, still-operational American automobiles. The shelves of shops and department stores, for decades largely empty, are being stocked with consumer goods the Cubans can scarcely imagine.

Indonesian photographer John Kuan has traveled to Cuba to document this ending of an era. He brings a unique sensitivity to the project as his life, too, is in transition. As a boy John Kuan nurtured an artistic passion, learning Chinese painting and experimenting with novel color palettes. But he eventually had to abandon his artistic ambitions to focus on building a business for the financial security of his family.