By Jennifer Seligman

Miami has cemented its rightful place as an art haven for collectors and artists worldwide. This can be attributed, in part, to Art Basel Miami Beach, although the trend for fine art in Miami was around years before the world-renowned art fair came to town. The art culture isn’t new; it just appears that way.

Gary Nader, one of the world’s leading Wifredo Lam dealers and owner/director of Gary Nader Fine Art, has been working towards educating people about the art world in Miami, which is apparent in his gallery. “I would like to think that this education is working, as more and more prominent artists’ works are being displayed throughout the city,” says Nader. Take, for example, the recent Botero exhibit at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, which opened on February 16, 2008. The sculptures, which are on loan from Gary Nader Fine Art gallery, will be on display through May 31. The outdoor exhibition is a wonderful way to portray some of Botero’s impressive bronze structures, some of which reach more than 14 feet high. “Botero is arguably the most famous living master in the world at this point in time,” says Nader, “and to have the ability for a new audience to see his works against the backdrop of Fairchild Tropical Garden is truly remarkable.” These sculptures have been displayed throughout the world before finding their way to Fairchild, which, as of late, has also been home to prominent works by Lichtenstein as well, once again with the help of Gary Nader Fine Art.

“In addition to the Botero exhibit, I am proud to announce that Gary Nader Fine Art Gallery is presenting a superb collection of Wifredo Lam’s masterpieces, on display for the third time in my gallery,” says Nader. “Lam’s show features a strong selection of more than 60 paintings that best represent the different periods of his prolific career.”

The extraordinarily talented Cuban master artist will showcase his work in the self-titled gallery exhibition, Wifredo Lam, One Man Show. The show will offer a distinctive and chronological perspective of Lam’s work by showcasing select states of his artistic and visual development, beginning with some of his works in the early ’20s and ’30s, and emphasizing the moment when his work morphed from artistic to iconic. Lam also expands the boundaries of his native city, Sagua la Grande, Cuba, during the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. “We waited to announce this exhibition until we were able to purchase one of the most important collections of Lam’s paintings in the world,” explains Nader, “a tremendously significant compilation of 20 masterpieces that we have been negotiating for the past three years.”

“Wifredo Lam is one of the most significant Latin American masters, which we have continued to promote over the past 30 years,” says Nader. “His painting style has a beautiful elegance and is completely recognizable. For this special occasion, I traveled to many cities including Paris, New York, Madrid, Maastricht, Rome, Milan, Bogota, and Washington in order to purchase new and exciting pieces for the exhibit.” Through Gary Nader Editions, to accompany the show, Gary Nader Fine Art is publishing, an extensive, full-color book with 80 illustrations.

Wifredo Lam, One Man Show, the largest Lam gallery showing in the world, is a significant addition to the magnificent Wifredo Lam exhibit at Miami Art Museum, a show that displays many masterpieces. “This is the largest show of Wilfredo Lam ever held in a gallery,” says Nader. “Our gallery measures more than 50,000 square feet-a city block-and we dedicated the whole floor to the show. That’s how important this show is to me and to the gallery.

“Lam is an artist of superior mastery and quality-beyond the borders of Cuban art,” says Nader. “He is the first artist in history to combine Afro-Cuban, European, and Chinese elements in a surrealist style and was one of the first artists to crossover from a Cuban artist into the international art scene. But this show is also important because of the sheer quality and innovation of his artwork and technical skills, which is comparable to any one of the masters.”
Gary Nader Fine Art Gallery
62 N.E. 27th St.
Miami FL. 33137
305.576.0256

Gallery Hours
Monday to Saturday from 10a.m.-6p.m.
The shows will run through the end of
April, 2008.