Arts and Literature of Cuba

father of surrealism. The influ- ence of cubism and surrealism is readily apparent in Lam’s work. But the feverish energy many of his paintings radiate is attributable largely to his min- ing of African and Afro-Cuban sources. Lam was himself partly of African descent (he also had Chinese, Spanish, and native ancestry). He sympathized with which nearly always contain abstract elements, often draw on symbols and gods from Santeria, an Afro-Cuban reli- gion; feature geometric bodies inspired by traditional African carving; and depict faces remi- niscent of African masks. Perhaps the most distinctive recurring elements in Lam’s work are hybrid human-animal figures, such as a horse-headed woman. Another early member of the Vanguardia whose work didn’t appear in the Exposición de

Educational Video

For a short look at the art of Amelia Peláez, scan here:

the plight of Cuba’s downtrodden black population, and he sought to exalt Afro-Cuban culture in his art. Lam’s paintings,

Naturaleza muerta con florera (Still Life with Flowers), by Cuban artist Amelia Peláez.

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