[6] In hopes of finally attaining true freedom as an individual and an artist, and after days spent crowded into the Peruvian Embassy, Alfonzo left Cuba via the Mariel boatlift in 1980, on a journey that was marred by violence.
"[6] In a paradox reflective of his art, Carlos Alfonzo's profuse artistic energy reached new heights alongside rising critical acclaim; meanwhile, he quietly and privately faced the AIDS virus as it ravaged his body and life force.
Fate intervened; the artist died one month prior to the Biennial exhibition which anchored his position in contemporary art.
Alfonzo borrowed forms from Cuban Santería, medieval Catholic mysticism, and tarot cards to build a system of symbols floating in huge limpid tears.
Many of his works holds subtle clues that evoke Alfonzo's homosexuality and the fear and anger generated by the AIDS epidemic.
[14] According to César Trasobares, the curator of Carlos Alfonzo: Clay Works and Painted Ceramics at PAMM: “For Alfonzo, works in clay and ceramic were an integral part of his evolving pictorial expression.”[14]Carlos Alfonzo was the subject of several solo exhibitions in institutions including the Miami Art Museum, the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in North Carolina, and the Hal Bromm Gallery in New York.