Mey-Yen Moriuchi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Art History La Salle University

The Cuban artist Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) is acclaimed for his semi-abstract, polymorphic paintings that draw on African motifs and the Santeria religion, in addition to avant-garde movements such as Cubism and Surrealism. His hybrid animal-human figures and fragmented, flattened compositions are linked to his Afro-Cuban culture, as well as to his experimentation with automatism and surrealist games. The emphasis on Lam’s African roots and his encounter with European modernism has neglected the influence of Lam’s Chinese culture on his art. Is there a convergence of Chinese and Afro-Cuban traditions that have been overlooked? This lecture will explore the impact of Lam’s Chinese heritage on his artistic production and will consider the significance of multiple Surrealisms- European, Caribbean, Asian- present in his oeuvre. 

This event is in person at Santa Barbara Museum of Art's Mary Craig Auditorium.

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