Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) was a Cuban artist with African ancestry. He painted in the surrealism and modern movements in an attempt to bring forward the Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. The slaves were brought to Cuba by Spanish colonizers after they had killed and absorbed the indigenous population of this land. They brought Africans as replacement for the Taino, Amerindian people, in the sugarcane industry. Lam championed his heritage. He was a friend to many of the most famous artists of his day including Picasso and Miro. His paintings seem to mirror the many aspects of his life and training. These are both modern and primitive, simple and layered in complexity. The Wifredo Lam Center for Contemporary Art opened in Havana in 1983.

This is an oil painting from Lam’s early career. It was done during his studies in Madrid before he moved more completely into cubism and surrealism. Here with a soft palette, he seems to depict the fragile balance of lives hanging within these buildings. It is a full composition in which he seems to paint foreboding with shape and pastel shadows. Hanging Houses III is part of the collection of the Tate Museum.

Lam’s life was filled with personal loss and global disillusionment. His later work depicts these. Lam died in Paris on September 11, 1982. We honor his legacy, life and times today.

In gratitude, faith and hope,