Damballah
(c. 1945-1946)
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
125.0 × 153.0 cm
Credit Line
John William Fawcett Bequest, 2025
© Estate of Wifredo Lam, Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
Gallery location
Late 19th & early 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Born in Cuba, Wifredo Lam studied art in Madrid before moving to Paris in 1938. Damballah, named after the most important loa, or spirit, in Haitian Vodou, blends local mythology with influences from the Parisian modernist circles Lam engaged with during his brief time in the city before the German invasion in 1940. After returning to Cuba in 1941, he entered a prolific period of creation. In 1945, he travelled with André Breton to visit their friend Pierre Mabille in Haiti, a trip that deepened Lam's connection to his African heritage and Caribbean culture. Damballah emerged directly from this experience.