Lam glued together two large pieces of kraft paper to make the support for La jungla. He first sketched the composition in charcoal and then used layers of thinned oil paint over the initial drawing. Lam’s figures feature faces reminiscent of African masks, handlike feet, elongated legs, and male and female attributes. They are placed within a Caribbean landscape, intertwined with broadleaves, tropical fruit, and sugarcane, recalling Cuba’s history of slavery and indenture, while also signaling the resilience of Afro-Caribbean cultures.
Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream, November 10, 2025–April 11, 2026
Gallery label from Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream , November 10, 2025–April 11, 2026
Lam unió dos piezas grandes de papel kraft para crear el soporte de La jungla. Primero esbozó la composición con carboncillo y luego utilizó capas de óleo diluido sobre el dibujo inicial. Las figuras de Lam presentan rostros que se asemejan a máscaras africanas, pies con forma de manos, piernas alargadas y atributos tanto masculinos como femeninos. Están situadas dentro de un paisaje caribeño, entrelazadas con hojas anchas, frutas tropicales y caña de azúcar, evocando la historia de la esclavitud y la servidumbre en Cuba, mientras que destaca la resiliencia de las culturas afrocaribeñas.
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Wifredo Lam
Cuban, 1902–1982 37 works onlineWifredo Lam charted a pathbreaking trajectory in modern art and served as a reference for subsequent generations of artists working across the Caribbean, Africa, and the West.
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African diaspora
Refers to the many peoples of African descent who live across the globe. For many of the people in this diaspora, their present place of residence is the result of forced migration due to historical events like the transatlantic slave trade or contemporary life-threatening events such as war or famine.
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Gouache
A water-based matte paint, sometimes called opaque watercolor, composed of ground pigments and plant-based binders, such as gum Arabic or gum tragacanth.
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Modern art
Art made from the 1880s to the 1970s—a time marked by the growth of cities, the rise of industry, a surge in technologies, and the development of mass media.
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