Wifredo Lam (1915 - 2012)

the figures reveals the local culture and beliefs, while the stylistic approach shows his formal training and development from European practices. An example of this is his best-known work, The Jungle, 1943. In 1964, he was awarded the Guggenheim International Award, and a year after he died in 1982, the Wifredo Lam Center for Contemporary Art was established in Havana, Cuba. Today, Lam's work can be found in the collections of the MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum, and many more international institutions, celebrating his dedication and creation.

Wifredo Lam’s untitled drawing (1968) is a remarkable example of his AfroCuban, modernist canon of work. Lam, a luminary of surrealism, is known for his large scale paintings and drawings that blend Western techniques with distinctly Afro-Cuban references. In this 19 x 29 inch work, spirited beastly figures outlined with charcoal playfully command attention against the tangerine pastel background. Lam’s utilization of smudging softens the creature’s rigid angles and emphasizes its gentle curves, adding motion and weight to the figures depicted. Overall, this drawing evokes a sense of genial whimsy, which beckons the viewer to take a closer look at the hazy details lingering in its light charcoal shadows.

Provenance

Collection of Colette Creuzevault, Paris, France

Bill Hodges Gallery, New York, NY

Exhibition History

Wifredo Lam and Agustín Cárdenas, 9 September – 5 November 2021, Bill Hodges Gallery, New York, NY

Literature

Bill Hodges Gallery, Wifredo Lam + Agustín Cárdenas, New York, 2021, illus. p. 17

Untitled, 1968

Pastel and Charcoal on Paper

19 x 26 in. (48.3 x 66 cm)

Signed and Dated, Lower Right: Wifredo Lam 1968

Signed and Dated on Reverse: Wifredo Lam 1968