WIFREDO LAM

Karlis Teilans11th grade

Wifrendo Lamo Full name - Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y

Castilla

o He was born on December 8, 1902 in Sagua La Grande.

o He died on September 11, 1982 in Paris, France.

Wifrendo Lamo Wifrendo Lam was a Cuban artist who sought to portray

and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. 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. Though he was predominantly a painter, he also worked with sculpture, ceramics and printmaking in his later life.

Early lifeo Born and raised in a village Sagua La Grande

o He was of mixed-race ancestry. His father was an Chinese imgirant and mother Cuban.

o He showed some artistic talent as a young man.

o He went to Havana to study law.

o He learning painting at the Academy of San Alejandro

Early lifeo In 1923, he went to Madrid in order to further his

artist studies.

o He married Eva Piriz in 1929

o He was in Madrid during the Spanish civil war in which he sided with the Republic.

o In 1937, he went to Paris and became close friends with Pablo Picasso.

o He left Paris in 1940 and went to Marseille.

Early lifeo In 1941, he returned to Cuba and stayed

there until 1946.o He then lived in various places including

Paris, New York and Havana.o He married Helena Holzer in 1944. They

were divorced in 1950.o In 1960, he married Lou Laurin with

whom he had three children.o He died in Paris in 1982.

“The Junge” 1943

“The Jungle” 1943

o The Jungle, which is considered Lam's masterpiece, is exemplary of the artist's mature style. The polymorphism, for which Lam is well known, juxtaposes aspects of humans, animals and plants, creating monstrous, hybrid creatures. The dense composition creates a claustrophobic feeling while the forms remain difficult to differentiate. The figures’ elongated limbs lack definition, while much emphasis is placed on their large feet, round buttocks, and African-inspired masked heads. Additionally, the iridescent quality of the forms enhances the painting's tropical feeling.

“The Jungle”1943

o The Jungle was not, however, intended to describe the primitivism of Cuba. Rather, Lam's intention was to depict a spiritual state—that which is surely inspired by Santeria. He sheds light on the absurdity that has become Afro-Cuban culture and more specifically on the way their traditions were cheapened for tourism. He sought to describe the reality of his people through the powerful work and gained acclaim and fame for doing so.

Some other works :

Zambezia(1950)

Standard Women(1950)

Women with Long Hair(1938)