Surrealism

Wifredo Lam's importance is growing steadily. The Cuban painter obtained recognition during his lifetime; He moved to Paris in 1938, where Picasso took him under his wing and encouraged his interest in African art and primitive masks, and was acclaimed by Breton and the surrealists. During that year, he also traveled to Mexico, where he stayed with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera . Since then, many exhibitions of his work have been held, mainly in Europe. However, the feature which draws more attention today is not so much that which identifies him with European modernism but rather the aspects that differentiate him from it.

His work used to be labeled as primogeniture surrealism derived directly from "primitivism" or as a cubism that was directed to the opposite path, to Africa. Lam’s own multicultural heritage (as the son of a Chinese father and a mother of mixed African, Indian, and European descent) and his involvement with Santería, a religion rooted in African culture, would soon become integral to his work. This new perspective of interpretation identifies Lam with a non-Western, decentralized universe, from which he plays within the favorable space established by modernism, but moving it into another direction without breaking its borders.
By the late 1930s, Lam was associated with the Surrealists


Biography:
1902
He was born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, the son of an immigrant from Canton and a Cuban "mulatto"woman. His catholic godmother was an important Afro-Cuban priest.
1923
He receives the diploma of the Academy of Fine Arts San Alejandro, La Habana. His first solo exhibition was held in his native town. He continues his studies in Madrid.
1924/27
He spends part of his time in Cuenca. He works painting portraits.
1936
He works in armory factories in Madrid and Barcelona. He paints La Guerra Civil.
1938
He moves to Paris where he receives Picasso's support.
1940
He moves to Marseille where he meets surrealist artists and participates at the Tarot de Marseille.
1941
He illustrates Breton's Fata Morgana. He participates together with Matta in an exhibition at the Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. Goes to America together with Breton, Lévi-Strauss and other 300 hundred intelectuals. He spends 40 days in Martinica, where he met Aimé Césaire and 30 days in Santo Domingo before going to La Habana.
1943
He concludes his work La Jungla.
1944
He creates "impressionist" paintings as Altar para Eleggua.
1945
He spends 4 months in Haiti. He paints El Presente Eterno.
1946
He spends part of his time in La Habana, in New York and in Paris.
1947
He participates in the Exposición Internacional del Surrealismo in Paris and Prague. He paints the series Escolopendras.
1950
An exhibition of his works is held at the Parque Central de La Habana. He paints Umbral.
1951
He is granted the first prize at the Salón Nacional de Cuba. He paints murals in La Habana and Caracas.
1952
He moves to Paris. An exhibition of his works is held at the Institute of Contemporary Art, in London.
1955
Exhibitions of his works are held at the University of La Habana and at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas. From this date onwards he often holds exhibitions and travels to Europe.
1957
Asger Jom leads him to produce ceramics in Albisola Mare.
1973/76
He travels to India and Kenia. He creates many engravings and multiples made up of welded metal.
1978
He becomes semi-paralytic. From this period onwards he often stays in Cuba to undergo medical treatments. Exhibitions are held at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico.
1982
He dies in Paris. An exhibition of his works is held at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, in Madrid.
1983
Exhibitions of his work are held at the Musée d'Ixelles, Brussels, and Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. The Center Wifredo Lam is created in La Habana.
1984
The I Bienal de La Habana is organized by the Centro Lam and included an International Conference on Wifredo Lam.


Exhibitions

1991/93
Centro Cultural de Arte Contemporaneo de Mexico; Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain; Americas Society, New York, USA; Studio Museum de New York, USA; Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació La Caixa, Barcelona, Spain; traveling exhibition, China.
1988
Kunstsammiung Nordrhein, Düsseldorf, Germany.
1986
Museo de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museo de Bellas Artes de Montevideo, Uruguai; Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas, Venezuela; Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogota, Colombia; Museu Nacional de Antropologia de Luanda, Angola.
1983
Museu d'Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium; Museu de Arte Moderna da Cidade de Paris, France.
1982
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Madrid, Spain.
1978
Museo de Arte Moderno de Mexico.
1972
XXXVI Bienalle di Venezia, special room, Venice, Italy.
1966/67
Retrospectiva, traveling exhibition in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Basel, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium; Stocolm, Sweden; Hannover, Germany.
1959
Galeria Documenta, Kassel, Germany.
1958
Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, USA.
1955
Universidad de La Habana, Cuba; Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas, Venezuela.
1953
Galerie Maeght, Paris, France.
1952
Contemporary Art Institut, London, England.
1950
Central Park de La Habana, Cuba; Galerie Pierre Matisse, New York, USA.
1948
Galerie Pierre Matisse, New York, USA.
1947
Surrealism International Exhibition, Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic.
1946
Art Center of Porto Principe, Haiti; Lyceum, Havana, Cuba; The London Gallery, London, England; MOMA, with Matisse, Matta, Miró e Picasso, New York, USA.
1945
Galerie Pierre Matisse, New York, USA; Galerie Pierre Loeb, Paris, France.
1944
Galerie Pierre Matisse, New York, USA.
1942
Galerie Pierre Matisse, New York, USA; Galerie Pierre Loeb, Paris, France.
1941
Modern Art Institut, Chicago, USA, with Matta.
1939
Galerie Pierre Loeb, Paris, France; Galerie Perls, with Picasso, New York, USA.
1928
Galería Vilches, Madrid, Spain.

Awards

1965
Guggenheim International.
1951
Salón Nacional de Cuba, 1º prize, Havana, Cuba. ...

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