On May 31, 2017 the Embassy of Argentina presented a new body of work by painter Miguel Pérez Lem which explored the profound and universal subject of migration and immigration. Using layers of images composed of rice paper, Perez Lem created transparencies that alternate with his strong and expressive black line to convey the personal narrative of what it means to him to have left his native Argentina to come to the United States.

As one moves from one painting to the next in this collection, the figurative image on each of these paintings becomes a constant yet its dissipative nature is a reminder that migration is not only a physical one, but a mental and spiritual one. We are invited to explore the levels of internal change that each of us experiences every time we find ourselves in new surroundings having to understand a new way of life and how to maintain a sense of personal identity, holding on to the essence of who we are while evolving and accumulating new experiences, all part of the mystery of discovering and understanding life in a new place.

Curator
Alfredo Ratinoff

About the artist
Miguel Pérez Lem
An Argentine artist who has lived, traveled and worked as an interior and industrial designer throughout the world. Calling upon all of his worldly experiences, he demonstrates all three aesthetics to create balance, beauty and emotion in his art. His paintings represent a convergence of the soft equilibrium of his Asian studies, with a provocative mood in his contemporary, hyper-realistic figures. Much of this effect is created through a mix of antique painting techniques such as encaustic and gilding, often resulting in a chiaroscuro effect. As a photographer, Pérez Lem is particularly intrigued with capturing scenes that he finds spontaneously, and imparting on them his own personal point of view.