The Museum of Modern Art is hosting a comprehensive retrospective of the Cuban modernist artist Wifredo Lam, an exhibition that seeks to categorize him as a "Unclassifiably Fabulous Visual Poet." Lam's work defies easy classification, often being associated with Surrealism or Cubism, yet he himself stated his art reflected the poetry and pain of Africans brought to Cuba.
The exhibition, organized by MoMA's new director Christophe Cherix and curator Beverly Adams, is the first in the United States to survey Lam's entire career. It traces his journey from his birth in Cuba in 1902 to parents of Chinese and Afro-Spanish descent, and his spiritual upbringing by a Santeria priestess, Ma' Antonica Wilson.
Lam's early work, as presented in the show, highlights the indirect path that shaped his unique artistic voice. His art often drew from his Afro-Asian roots and political convictions, as exemplified by his 1937 painting "La Guerra Civil," which depicted the brutality of Fascist troops. This painting, characterized by its chaotic style and dimensionless space, effectively conveyed the distress of a world in crisis.
The retrospective showcases Lam's profound connection to the cultural and spiritual heritage of Cuba, particularly the experiences of the African diaspora. His most famous work, "La Jungla" (1942-43), exhibited at MoMA, is cited as a powerful expression of this connection, with Lam himself describing it as reflecting "the poetry of Africans who came to Cuba, poetry that still hides much pain in its songs."
