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(1902-1982) Wilfredo Oscar de la Concepción Lam Y Castella was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. He 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 and ceramics in his later life. His contact with African celebrations and spiritual practices proved to be his largest artistic influence. In 1916 Lam moved to Havana to study law, a path that his family had thrust upon him. From 1918 to 1923 Lam studied painting at the Escuela de Bellas Artes. In 1923 Lam began studying in Madrid under Fernando Alvarez de Sotomayor, the curator of the Museo del Prado and teacher of Salvador Dalí. In the mornings he would attend the studio of the reactionary painter, while he spent his evenings working alongside young, nonconformist painters. During the 1930’s Lam was exposed to a variety of influences. In his work, the influence of Surrealism was discernable, as well as that of Henri Matisse. In 1937 in Barcelona, Spain, Lam met Picasso through mutual friends. In 1938 Lam moved to Paris. Picasso quickly became a big supporter of Lam, introducing him to many of the leading artists and art dealers of the time. His first exhibition at the Galerie Pierre Loeb in 1939, received an enthusiastic response from critics. Picasso and Lam also exhibited their work together at the Perls Galleries in New York in the same year. Mainly working with gouache, Lam began producing stylized figures that appear to be influenced by Picasso. In 1964 he was awarded the Guggenheim International Award and between 1966 and 1967 there were many retrospectives of his work throughout Europe. Wifredo Lam died on September 11, 1982 in Paris.
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