Born in Havana in 1944, Mendive is known as one of Cuba's foremost artists. He graduated from the San Alejandro Academy in 1962. During the '60s his works were influenced by the altars of religious cults and santerias which incorporated voodoo performances and masks. He was awarded the Adam Montparnasse prize at the 1968 exhibitions at the Salon de mai in Paris. That same year he won 3rd prize at the Salon International de Artes Plásticas in Havana. Mendive's work can be found in most of the important salons and museums in Europe and the Americas.