Wifredo Lam

WIFREDO LAM (Sagua la Grande, Cuba, 1902–Boulogne-Billancourt, France, 1982).
"Visible-Invisible," 1970.
Etching on paper, E.A. edition.
Signed in pencil and dated
Measurements: 37.5 × 47 cm (print), 50 × 70 cm (paper).

The composition brings together a group of hybrid figures with angular anatomies and features that are simultaneously human, animal, and fantastical. The bodies are intertwined by fine lines and pointed extensions, while the varying intensities of the etching create a dynamic scene marked by graphic tension.

These enigmatic beings are characteristic of Lam’s universe, whose artistic language combines elements of Cubism and Surrealism with references to Afro-Caribbean culture. In his graphic work—which was particularly prolific during the 1960s and 1970s—the line takes on a special autonomy, emphasizing the ritual, metamorphic, and symbolic nature of his images.

Wifredo Lam was a key figure in modern Cuban art. After studying in Havana and Madrid, he came into contact with Picasso and the Surrealist circle in Paris. His famous painting *La Jungla* is housed at MoMA in New York, and his work was the focus of a major retrospective organized by the Centre Pompidou in collaboration with the Reina Sofía Museum and the Tate Modern.