 The term naïve itself can be problematic; usually meaning an artist is self-taught, it has been used in the past by academic artists or critics as a derogatory term, since naïve artists tend to ignore the basic rules of art.In spite of their disregard for academic conventions, naïve artists are often quite sophisticated in their personal forms of artistic expression.The colors used in Cuban naïve art are especially vivid, with artists using the vibrant hues of their tropical home to present an idealized view of rural life, with spiritual references to Catholicism and Santeria's "Orichas" (deities), legends, and other aspects of Afro-Cuban culture, past and present.