This distinctive visual style of his also influences many artists. Opened in 1983, the Wifredo Lam Center for Contemporary Art (in Spanish: Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam) is a state-run gallery in tribute to Lam and located in Havana, Cuba. [3] From 1918 to 1923, Lam studied painting at the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Galerie Pierre, Paris. A native Cuban, Lam hailed from Chinese, European, Indian, and mixed-African descent, and he was deeply influenced by African spiritual practices such as Santeria. Wifredo Lam. He quickly gained the support of Picasso, who introduced him to many of the leading artists of the time, such as Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and Joan Miró. "The Ey Exhibition: Lam, Eskil, Dolega-Ritter, Dorota, Tonneau-Ryckelynck, Dominique. Edited book. "Césaire, Lam, Picasso, Nous nous sommes trouvés," Fondation Clément, Le François (Martinique), December 6, 2013–March 2, 2014. Wifredo Lam was born and raised in Sagua La Grande, a village in the sugar farming province of Villa Clara, Cuba. A new record was established on June 28, 2020 when Sotheby's auctioned Lam's "Omi Obini" for $9,603,800. "Wifredo Lam." Ordrupgaard, Charlottenlund (Denmark), September 14–October 15, 1978; Sonja Henie, Niels Onstad Foundation, Høvikkoden (Norway). It reflected his mature style, depicting four figures with mask-like heads, half-emerging from dense tropical vegetation. Miami Art Museum, Miami, February 8 – May 18, 2008; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, June 12–August 31, 2008; Dalí Museum, St Petersburg (FL), October 2, 2008–January 10, 2009. Military Service: Fought with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. [12], The Jungle, which is considered Lam's masterpiece, is exemplary of the artist's mature style. [1] While Lam was never initiated into Santería, Palo Monte, or Abakuá Secret Society, he was familiar with the practices, as cultural participation was widespread in Cuba. Piero Atchugarry Gallery, in Little River, featured an interesting show earlier this year that consisted of a group of paintings by well-known Cuban master Wifredo Lam that are dated between 1925 and 1927, years in which this artist spent long periods of time at the Castilian town of Cuenca, in Spain. ; [4], During the 1930s, Lam was exposed to a variety of influences. 1000 works, and research and study of contemporary visual arts in developing countries. "Wifredo Lam." He noticed that the descendants of the slaves were still being oppressed and that the Afro-Cuban culture was degraded and made picturesque for the sake of tourism. Between 1918 and 1923, Lam studied painting at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, but preferred painting outdoors to the traditional academic setting. Trivia. "Wifredo Lam 1902–1982: Voyages entre caraïbes et avant-gardes," Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, France, May 6–August 29, 2010. "Lam" Centre d'Art Galerie, Port-au-Prince, Haïti, January 24–February 3, 1946. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wifredo-Lam. Looking Out - See 15 traveler reviews, 55 candid photos, and great deals for Havana, Cuba, at Tripadvisor. A major early 20th-century painter, Wifredo Lam fused elements of Cubism and Surrealism with African culture in paintings that were exhibited alongside those of Pablo Picasso and other Cubists and Fauvists. African art enjoyed a vogue in Paris in the 1930s, particularly among the Surrealists, and its influence on Lam’s work of this period is evident. "Lam Paintings." Wifredo Lam always gave art historians and curators a hard time to locate his work within the art schools of the 20 th century. Victor Moreno – ein kubanischer Maler, Vielflieger VerlagHabana, 1950. Though the drawings he created in Marseille between 1940 and 1941 are known as the Fata Morgana suite, only about three inspired the illustrations for the poem. In 1936 and 1937 he fought for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, fleeing Barcelona for Paris in 1938 with a letter of introduction to Pablo Picasso. He held the belief that society focused too much on the individual and sought to show humanity as a whole in his artwork. [1] In 1941, Breton, Lam and Claude Lévi-Strauss, accompanied by many others, left for Martinique, only to be imprisoned. He was of mixed-race ancestry: his mother, the former Ana Serafina Castilla, was born to a Congolese former slave mother and a Cuban mulatto father and his father, Yam Lam, was a Chinese immigrant. Through Picasso Lam met members of the Parisian avant-garde, and he began to experiment with various Modernist styles. Inspired by and in contact with some of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Lam melded his influences and created a unique style, which was ultimately characterized by the prominence of hybrid figures. Also the artist Wifredo Lam defies a clear national and cultural classification. December 8, 1902 (age 80) Birthplace . Wilfredo Lam, From top: Mujer Sentada (Seated Woman), 1944, oil on paper laid down on board, 42 x 33 in. Drawing from his study of tropical plants and familiarity with Afro-Cuban culture, his paintings became characterized by the presence of a hybrid figure—part human, part animal, and part vegetal. In 1929, he married Eva Piriz, but both she and their young son died in 1931 of tuberculosis; it is likely that this personal tragedy contributed to the dark nature of his work. "Homenaje a Wifredo Lam 1902–1982." Throughout the rest of his career, Lam would move between Cuba, Paris, Italy, and New York City, developing his unique blend of imagery. See more ideas about cuban art, artist, art. Also excelled in sculpture, ceramics, and printmaking. [1] His style was also distinctive because of its fusion of Surrealist and Cubist approaches with imagery and symbols from Santería. His father was Chinese, his mother of African and Spanish ancestry. Wifredo Lam (Cuban, 1902–1982) was a Cuban-born painter, draughtsman, and sculptor, born to a Chinese father and Afro-Cuban mother. Surrealism’s involvement with myth, the subconscious, automatism, and, in particular, non-Western art was critical to the development of his work. November 20–December 8, 1945. At the intersection of various 20th-century avant-gardes stands the enigmatic figure of Wifredo Lam, a dapper Cuban artist whose startlingly original works are being exhibited this autumn in a major exhibition at Tate Modern.Wrought from the upheavals and intellectual cross-currents of his time, but with a keen sense for the metaphysical, Lam's oeuvre is an enchanting miscellany. Images of hybrid female figures, particularly those with horse heads, drawn from Afro-Cuban religion, dominate much of his work. "Wifredo Lam: a Sketch. Wifredo Lam, the Ey Exhibition. Wifredo Lam - pintor afrocubano In this final episode of the series, practice your Spanish listening while learning all about Wifredo Lam, the very interesting 20th-century Cuban painter. At the Prado, he discovered and was awed by the work of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel I. Parque Central, Havana. His mother Ana Serafina Castilla was born in 1862 in Sancti Spiritus of … Paintings Also known as: Lam, Wilfredo Birth Place: Sagua la Grande (Villa Clara, Cuba) Biography: Wifredo Lam was born as Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla on December 8, 1902 and died September 11, 1982. Decentered, inhospitable, hazardous or impossible for urban walker: Atlanta is not given to open the visitor who arrives there. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Wifredo Lam, 1964. Lam was born to a Chinese immigrant father and a mother of African and Spanish descent. Rather, Lam's intention was to depict a spiritual state—that which is surely inspired by Santería;[14] he sheds light on the absurdity that has become Afro-Cuban culture and more specifically on the way their traditions were cheapened for tourism. Wifredo Lam was born on December 8th, 1902, in Sagua la Grande – a sugar producing region on the northern coast of Cuba – the year the country proclaimed itself a Republic, after a little more than three centuries of Spanish rule. November 17–December 5, 1942. Omissions? Musée Campredon, Maison René Char, L'Isle sur la Sorgue, France, July 7–October 2, 2005. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [15] The previous record for the artist was set in May 2012, when Idolo (Oya/Divinit de l'air de la mort) sold for $4.56m. See the renowned permanent collection and special exhibitions. The influence of Surrealism was discernible in his work, as well as that of Henri Matisse. He sought to describe the reality of his people through the powerful work and gained acclaim and fame for doing so. Libros de Pintura Cubana, Wifredo Lam, London International Surrealist Exhibition, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wifredo_Lam&oldid=1005785469, Articles needing additional references from December 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text, Articles that may contain original research from September 2020, All articles that may contain original research, Wikipedia articles with KULTURNAV identifiers, Wikipedia articles with RKDartists identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with suppressed authority control identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. In this way I could act as a Trojan horse that would spew forth hallucinating figures with the power to surprise, to disturb the dreams of the exploiters."[6]. "Wifredo Lam: The Changing Image, Centennial Exhibition." Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York. Wifredo Lam, (born Dec. 8, 1902, Sagua la Grande, Cuba—died Sept. 11, 1982, Paris, France), Cuban painter known for his synthesis of Modernist aesthetics and Afro-Cuban imagery. I want to turn now to those facts of Lam's life often cited by art historians and critics, and to some of the ways through which they have sought to imply or suggest racial and cultural transparency. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. While Cuban culture and mythology permeated his work, it dealt with the nature of man and therefore was wholly relatable to non-Cubans. Wifredo Lam: Negotiating Transcultural Modernism And Artistic Indentity In Europe, The Caribbean, And The United States. Translate; Career; Random; Home Sculptor Wifredo Lam . Cuba Counterpoints, Dec 1, 2016, "Riding Modernism: Wifredo Lam's Decenterings", "The Painter's Line: The Drawings of Wifredo Lam", "Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam", Ediciones Vanguardia Cubana. He left for Madrid, Spain in the autumn of 1923 to further his art studies. [1] In Sagua La Grande, Lam was surrounded by many people of African descent; his family, like many others, practiced Catholicism alongside their African traditions. Lam continued to simplify and synthesize abstraction yet continued painting figurally; he also kept on developing the mythology and totemism that defined his style. Cuban artist of Asian ancestry who was best known for his 1943 work "The Jungle." Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, May 8–22, 1955. Museo Nacional de Arte Contemporaneo, Madrid, October 20–December 12, 1982; Musée d'Ixelles, Brussels, January 7–March 6, 1983; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, March 23–May 22, 1983. Sculptor #127696. "Lam Paintings." Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more. After forty days, Lam was released and allowed to leave for Cuba, which he reached in midsummer 1941. Galerie Pierre, Paris. A los catorce años se instaló con parte de su familia a La Habana, donde cursaría estudios de Bellas Artes, y ya entre 1920 y 1923 participó en el salón de la Asociación de Pintores y Escultores de La Habana. Wifredo Lam Center: Ambiguity of Looking In vs. The basic facts and truisms that have been reiterated in the existing Lam literature serve as the starting point of this study: he was born in 1902 in Sagua le Grande, Cuba. Updates? Washington University. [1], While Lam began simplifying his forms before he came into contact with Picasso's work, it is apparent that Picasso had a significant impact on him. November 13–December 2, 1939. Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (Chinese: 林飛龍; Jyutping: lam4 fei1lung4; December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982), better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. Wifredo Lam December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982 The son of a Chinese immigrant and a Congolese slave, Lam grew up in Cuba, and lived amongst Catholic as well as African traditions. [1] Though his dislike for academic conservatism persisted, his time in Spain marked his technical development, in which he began to merge a primitive aesthetic and the traditions of Western composition. "Wifredo Lam." The painting depicted the tension between Modernism and the vibrancy and energy of African culture. Sep 1, 2019 - Explore Min Htet's board "Wifredo Lam" on Pinterest. After meeting André Breton, Lam became an active member of the Surrealist movement. Kunsthalle, Basel, September 10–October 9, 1966; "Wifredo Lam.". From the personal collection of Juan Castillo Vázquez, Havana, Cuba." While Lam's early paintings were in the modernist Spanish tradition, his work soon became more simplified and decorative. Lam, like many of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, combined radical modern styles with the "primitive" arts of the Americas. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Content. ... Make your student life easy and fun Pay only once with our Forever plan Use plagiarism checker This page was last edited on 9 February 2021, at 11:43. "Wifredo Lam." Lam’s distinctive style and exploration of Afro-Cuban visual culture, alongside his knowledge of European modernism, made a hug… Family Life. Wifredo Lam, Figuras de Trópico (Figures of the Tropics), 1966, pastel on heavy paper laid down on board, 22 x 29 ¾ in Wilfredo Lam, Ídolo (Idol), 1970, oil on canvas, 19 5/8 x 15 ¾ in. The work was sold as part of the Alain and Candice Fraiberger collection. Oil on canvas; 125.4 x 110.8 cm. In 1964, he was awarded the Guggenheim International Award and between 1966 and 1967 there were many retrospectives of his work throughout Europe. His pictures that are oscillating between Cubism and Surrealism are formed by the ethnic influences of his Carribean roots. ), exhibition catalogue, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Tate Modern, Londres, Editions du Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2015. Surrealism’s involvement with myth, the subconscious, automatism, and, in particular, non-Western art was critical to the development of his work. Though he was predominantly a painter, he also worked with sculpture, ceramics and printmaking in his later life. Wifredo Lam (Sagua la Grande, 1902 - París, 1982) Pintor cubano. [1] Lam had begun to incorporate Surrealist techniques before his time in Europe, learning of artists like Matisse through publications and news from a friend. Show Quick Facts [ edit] Full name : Wifredo Lam How old is Wifredo Lam: 80 years Male Born: Wifredo Oscar de la Concepcion Lam y Castilla, Sagua la Grande, 2 December 1902. "Review: Multiculturalism in the Americas. The polymorphism, for which Lam is well known, juxtaposes aspects of humans, animals, and plants, creating monstrous, hybrid creatures. Several times I have visited that city and always, despite my efforts to establish a friendly relationship with her, on leaving I have sworn not to return. Much of his work in 1938 possessed emotional intensity; the subject matter ranged from interacting couples to women in despair and showed a considerably stronger African influence, seen in the figures’ angular outlines and the synthesis of their bodies. "Wifredo Lam et les poètes." Wifredo Lam died on September 11, 1982, in Paris, aged 79. "Césaire, Lam, Picasso, Nous nous sommes trouvés," Galerie nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, France, March 16–June 6, 2011. Wifredo Lam and the International Avant-Garde, 1923-1982 (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and L) [Sims, Lowery Stokes] on Amazon.com. [5] Throughout Lam's travels through the Spanish countryside, he developed empathy for the Spanish peasants, whose troubles in some ways mirrored those of the former slaves he grew up around in Cuba. "Wifredo Lam, gravuras," Caixa Cultural de Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, October 22–January 3, 2010; Pinacoteca de Estado, São Paulo, February 27–May 2, 2010. In 1960, Lam established a studio in Albissola Marina on Italy's northwest coast and settled there with his wife Lou Laurin, a Swedish painter, and their three sons. Lehigh University Art Galleries, Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem PA, August 30–December 10, 2017. African poetry, on the other hand, was said to have had a broadening effect on his paintings. Wifredo Lam b. About. He was a well-traveled artist with a constantly changing medium and a gift for memorable images. By 1918 he had begun to study art at Havana’s School of Fine Arts, and he soon began to exhibit in annual salons. Born in the small town of Sagua la Grande at the turn of the century, his father was a Chinese immigrant and his mother a descendent of both Spanish conquistadors and African slaves. Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (Chinese: 林飛龍; Jyutping: lam4 fei1lung4; December 8, 1902 – September 11, 1982), better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. "Lam Paintings." There Lam enriched his already extensive understanding and knowledge of African divinity and magic rituals through observing Voodoun ceremonies, although he later said that his contact with the African spirituality that he found throughout the Americas did not directly impact his formal style. The Jungle (La Jungla). He progressed to model sculptures and cast in metal in his twilight years, often depicting personages similar to those he had painted. He believed that Cuba was in danger of losing its African heritage and therefore sought to free them from cultural subjugation. Wifredo Lam was born in the small Cuban town of Sagua la Grande in 1902, and died in Paris in 1982. … The youngest of eight children, he was baptized Wilfredo Oscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla . December 12–31, 1945. Dias Ramos, Afonso. Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla (December 8, 1902-September 11, 1982) was a major 20th century painter who fused elements of Cubism and Surrealism with African culture in paintings, which were exhibited in his lifetime alongside those of Pablo Picasso and other Cubists and Fauvists. Before Fame. Corrections? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [6] The Jungle was ultimately purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. [5] The somber palette suggests a hidden moonlit scene, perhaps a reference to the secret practice of African religions among enslaved peoples.[13]. Wifredo Lam. Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla, Richards, Paulette. In 1923, Lam began studying in Madrid under Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza, the curator of the Museo del Prado and teacher of Salvador Dalí. Atlanta is not one of my favorite cities. Wifredo Oscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. With regard to Picasso's exhibition, Lam said that it was "not only a revelation, but… a shock. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Manolo gave Lam the letter of introduction that sparked his friendship with Picasso, whose artwork had impressed and inspired Lam a year before when he saw an exhibition in Madrid. The meaning of the name Lam: Forest FUN FACTS Sculptor Wifredo Lam were born on Monday, birthstone is Turquoise, the seaon was Fall in the Chinese year of Tiger, it is 337 days until Wifredo Lam next birthday. October 2–15, 1950. Wifredo Lam was a Cuban-born artist, best known for his large scale paintings which reference modernist aesthetics and Afro-Cuban imagery to explore themes of social injustice, spirituality and rebirth. Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama, October 2002–January 2003. After meeting André Breton, Lam became an active member of the Surrealist movement. Inspired by and in contact with some of the most renowned artists of the twentieth century, Lam melded his influences and created a unique style, which was ultimately characterized by the prominence of hybrid figures. "Wifredo Lam, Imagining New Worlds, McMullen Museum of Art," Boston, August 30–December 14, 2014; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, February 10–May 24, 2015. Find more prominent pieces of figurative at Wikiart.org – best visual art database. "[1] Lam gained the approval of Picasso, whose encouragement has been said to have led Lam to search for his own interpretation of modernism.[6]. Most Popular ★ Boost . [1] Mainly working with gouache, Lam began producing stylized figures that appear to be influenced by Picasso. The imagery of the tropics is also suggested with the densely packed cane stalks and palm leaves that merge with the figures, mirroring cosmological concepts from Afro-Cuban religions where deities that inhabit elements in nature. Education: Academia San Atejandra, Havana, 1920-23; Free Academy, Madrid; studio of Fernando Alvarez di Sotomayor (director of the Prado), Madrid, 1924-28. Upon Lam's return to Havana, he developed a new awareness of Afro-Cuban traditions. London, Tate Modern Gallery (September 14, 2016–January 8, 2017). In the mornings he would attend his conservative teacher's studio, while he spent his evenings working alongside young, nonconformist painters. He dramatically synthesized the Surrealist and Cubist strategies while incorporating the iconography and spirit of Afro-Cuban religion. Having had more than one hundred personal exhibitions around the world, Lam had a well established reputation by the time of his death. Master of Arts. The figures' elongated limbs lack definition, while much emphasis is placed on their large feet, round buttocks, and African-inspired masked heads. Lam gave his figures masklike faces, some similar to horse heads, and eroticized them by exaggerating breasts, buttocks, and genitalia. 1943 For this Poetry Project, we asked Robin Coste Lewis, the poet laureate of Los Angeles, to invite a group of poets to contribute an original poem written in response to a work of art in MoMA’s collection. [6] At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, he sided with the Republicans and used his talent to fashion Republican posters and propaganda. In 1916, Lam moved to Havana to study law, a path that his family had thrust upon him. [8] In 1943, he began his best-known work, The Jungle. Wifredo Lam moved to Paris in 1938, where he came into contact with the Surrealist group, before returning to the Caribbean at the onset of the Second World War with André Breton, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Victor Serge and other members of the said group. Similarly, in 1965, six years after the revolution, he showed his loyalty to Castro and his goals of social and economic equality by painting El Tercer Mundo (The Third World) for the presidential palace. Through his godmother, Matonica Wilson, a Santería priestess locally celebrated as a healer and sorceress, he was exposed to rites of the African orishas. The Jungle was not, however, intended to describe the primitivism of Cuba. [4], Picasso also introduced him to Pierre Loeb, a Parisian art dealer; Loeb gave Lam his first exhibition at the Galerie Pierre Loeb in 1939, which received an enthusiastic response from critics. On December 6, 2017, Sotheby's sold Lam's A Trois Centimetres de la Terre (1962) for €4.44m ($5.24m), which established a new record price for the painter. Central Institute of Fine Arts, Beijing; Palace of Fine Arts, Shanghaï; Institute of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, Institute of Fine Arts; Guangzhou; Art Center, Hong Kong, September 1991–March, 1992. Wifredo Lam and the International Avant-Garde, 1923-1982 (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and L) Museo Nacional Centreo de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, September 29–December 14, 1992; Fundacio Miró, Barcelona, January, 21–March 21, 1993. In his trip to Mexico in the same year, Lam stayed with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. "The Cuban Painter Wifredo Lam." While in Marseille, Lam and Breton collaborated on the publication of Breton's poem Fata Morgana, which was illustrated by Lam. Lam's work went from showing the influence of Matisse, seen in his still lifes, landscapes and simplified portraits, to being influenced by Cubism. [4] The dense composition creates a claustrophobic feeling while the forms remain difficult to differentiate. Two Nudes, I (1937), for example, resembles Henri Matisse’s work in its heavily outlined and rounded forms.
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