"Figura con trenza y pajaros" (1959) is an important oil on canvas by one of the most famous Surrealist artist, Modern Latin American painter Wifredo Lam (Cuban, 1902–1982). In this work Lam allowed the main elements in the compositions to stand to blend into the color of the background, with simple outlines and touches of white for highlights. Spacial references are bypassed for compositional complexity, that underscores the artist's iconic Surreal narratives. Here Lam reunites one by one all the characters who have marched in and out of his work for over forty years. Within the intermediate hues are suspended figures who in Lam's work have represented entities that go back and forth between the physical and ethereal realms, between the foreground and the background. This work measures 31.3 x 38.98 inches (79.5 x 99 cm).
Cuban-born Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) is known for his stylized utilization of the erotic, mythological creatures of his native culture within a sophisticated Surrealist idiom. His paintings, prints, and sculptures reference his life experiences from his 1946 sojourn to Haiti and Cuba, to his studies with Pablo Picasso and André Breton in Paris. Lam attended the Escuela de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba in 1916 and then studied at the Acadamia San Atejandra, Havana, Cuba. After moving to Spain, he attended the Free Academy in Madrid from 1924-1928. In 1938 he moved to Paris where he became associated with the Surrealists. Lam spent his time between Paris and Cuba. Over the span of his life, Lam received numerous awards, including First Prize at the Salone Nacionale in Havana, Cuba in 1951; the Guggenheim International Award, New York in 1964; and the Premio Marzotto in Milan, Italy in 1965.
Throughout his career, he participated in many exhibitions around the world, including solo shows at Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York; the Institute of contemporary Arts in London, UK; and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lam's work continues to be featured in shows throughout the world. His work can also be seen in the public collections of the Tate Gallery, London, UK; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France; the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; National Galerie, Berlin, Germany; and the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Lam died in Paris in 1982.
