Artist Jose Parla’s new exhibition at the Pérez Art Museum Miami is informed by the emotions of survival.
BY SEBASTIAN PHILLIPS
Talk about a full-circle moment. Homecoming, the new exhibition by Jose Parla taking place at the Perez Art Museum this fall, not only describes the New York artist’s return to his native Miami; it also represents his comeback to his life and practice.
In 2021, Parla contracted a life-threatening case of COVID-19 that left him in a four-month coma during which he suffered a stroke and severe brain bleeding. While he miraculously survived, the recovery was an arduous process during which he questioned whether he would ever paint again. Once he did, it was with a completely different perspective.
“I feel a deep sense of gratitude these days,” says Parla. “Having gone through such a challenging period, I’m more aware of my body, my mind, and the delicate balance we exist in. There’s a renewed sense of purpose in my work, and I feel compelled to pour everything I’ve experienced into the pieces I’m creating now.”
That life-changing energy is palpable in the works that make up the exhibition – larger-than-life canvases bursting with color and texture. “These paintings are raw and filled with the intensity of survival,” says Parla. “Each one is a record of the time I spent confronting my own fragility, and yet, they’re also filled with resilience.”
To reflect the complexity of emotions he went through, Parla relied on the process of layering ink, paint, and plaster to produce the works, which are inevitably defined by their tactile qualities. “It’s as if you can feel the breath, the heartbeat, and the struggle within the works,” he says. “It’s about the layers of life, the scars we carry, but also the beauty that emerges from it.”
Homecoming will be an elaborate, two-part exhibition that leans heavily into the immersive. In the first part, visitors will be able to observe Parla’s dance-like technique as he paints a site-specific mural, which he reveals will be “an homage to the region of Miami, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, but also to the idea of rebuilding and reimagining.” The second part of the show will be presented in a gallery converted to look like Parla’s studio, complete with paint-covered tables and the artist’s records collection.
“I wanted viewers to step into the works, not just observe them from a distance,” says Parla. “When you surround someone with the textures, colors, and scale of a piece, it becomes a physical experience. You feel the weight of time, the depth of history. In that space, the viewer can become a part of the narrative, engaging with the work in a more intimate and visceral way. I wanted Homecoming to be something you feel, like music in your body, not just in your eyes.” November 14, 2024 to July 6, 2025. / pamm.org
