Painter Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) was born in Cuba, the son of a Spanish/black mother and a Chinese father. Trained as an academic realist, Lam's art evolved to include modern aspects after his introduction to the work of Picasso and Matisse in Spain. 
Picasso was a good friend to Lam and also a great influence. But after living in Europe for many years, Lam returned to Cuba in 1942 where he reconnected with his Afro-Cuban background and transformed his work yet again. Lam's masterwork is The Jungle, often compared to in achievement, and once hung by, Picasso's Guernica.
Of his art Lam once said: "... With all my energy I sought to paint the drama of my country, but most of all to lend expression to the spirit of Negro man, the beauty of Negro plastic art..."
