Born in Havana in 1944, Cuban artist Julio Larraz began his career as a political caricaturist and cartoonist, signing his work by his first and middle name: Julio Fernandez. In Cuba, his family were owners of the newspaper La Discusión, which undoubtedly had an influence on his early practice. They relocated to the United States in 1961 following the United States’ unsuccessful invasion of Cuba, and his works were featured in publications such as Esquire, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, to name just a few.
Julio Larraz, An Opening in the Clouds (2022). Courtesy of the Julio Larraz Foundation.
By 1970, however, Larraz’s artistic practice expanded significantly, and he began to paint lyrical compositions that spoke both to his own creative, internal world and the aesthetic zeitgeist. His first solo exhibition was held in 1971 at Pyramid Galleries, Washington, D.C., and in the decades after his work has been shown widely both nationally and internationally, and has been acquired by prestigious public collections ranging from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Julio Larraz, A Dutchman in the Bahamas (2023). Courtesy of the Julio Larraz Foundation.
This year, the venerable artist turned 80 years old, and marking the occasion the exhibition “80 Circumnavigations of the Sun” is a traveling exhibition that showcases a range of Larraz’s new and recent work and illustrates his singular creative vision. Previously shown at Ascaso Gallery, Miami, the show will next debut in Mexico City with Galería Duque Arango. On view through August 30, 2024, the show will then travel on to Texas, the Dominican Republic, and Venice.
Julio Larraz, “Burn Out,” The Story of Icarus (2023). Courtesy of the Julio Larraz Foundation.
Drawing from a diverse spectrum of influences including Surrealism, the work of Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, and, perhaps most notably, Cuban art and culture, Larraz’s paintings offer viewers a glimpse into the artist’s fully fleshed out creative imagination. With motifs like vintage cars, men in white linen suits, and ships sailing through a blue sky and clouds, Larraz’s work are simultaneously reality based and of an alternative dreamscape. And while narrative is sometimes alluded to in his paintings, they are decidedly self-contained, offering visual respite and intrigue that invites prolonged looking.
Julio Larraz, Personage (2019). Courtesy of the Julio Larraz Foundation.
“As we reflect on Julio’s extraordinary life and career, we are reminded of the profound impact he continues to wield upon the artistic landscape,” said Executive Director of the Julio Larraz Foundation Ariel Larraz. “His insatiable thirst to explore the boundless expanse of his dreams and visions remains undiminished, undeterred by the encroaching shadows of age or the inevitable toll of physical exertion. His unwavering resolve, his relentless work ethic, serves as a guiding light for those who rally behind him, propelling him forward on his artistic odyssey.”
“Julio Larraz: 80 Circumnavigations of the Sun” is on view at Galería Duque Arango, Mexico City, July 18–August 30, 2024.