JOSÉ LERMA
ES José Lerma (Sevilla, 1971) es un artista visual contemporáneo de raíces españolas y puertorriqueñas, conocido por su enfoque experimental en la pintura y el retrato. Criado en Puerto Rico y radicado entre Chicago, Nueva York y San Juan, su obra explora la historia del arte y el poder simbólico de la representación a través de materiales no convencionales, empastes gruesos y técnicas mixtas. Aunque inicialmente estudió Ciencias Políticas y Derecho, Lerma se volcó al arte completando una maestría en Bellas Artes y participando en programas como Skowhegan y CORE. Su trabajo ha sido exhibido internacionalmente en museos como el MCA de Chicago y el Whitney, y en 2024 presentó su primera gran muestra retrospectiva en el Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, consolidando su posición como una figura clave del arte contemporáneo con una mirada crítica, lúdica y profundamente personal.
EN José Lerma (Seville, 1971) is a contemporary visual artist of Spanish and Puerto Rican heritage, known for his experimental approach to painting and portraiture. Raised in Puerto Rico and based between Chicago, New York, and San Juan, his work explores art history and the symbolic power of representation through unconventional materials, thick impasto, and mixed media techniques. Although he initially studied Political Science and Law, Lerma turned to art, earning an MFA and participating in programs such as Skowhegan and the CORE Residency. His work has been exhibited internationally in institutions like the MCA Chicago and the Whitney Museum, and in 2024 he presented his first major retrospective at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, solidifying his position as a key figure in contemporary art with a critical, playful, and deeply personal vision.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Rachoffski Collection, Texas
Whitney Museum of American Art. New York, NY
Saatchi Collection, London
Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX
Miwaukee Art Museum, WI
Chazen Museum of Art, W
Arario Collection, Seoul, South Korea
Aby Rosen, New York, NY
Phillip Isles, New York, NY
Dakkis Joannou, Athens, Greece
Fidelity Investments, NY
Colección VAC, Valencia, Spain
Alberto De la Cruz Collection, PR/Miami
Phillara Collection, Dusseldorf, Germany
Colección Berezdivin, Santurce, PR
Cesar Reyes, San Juan, PR
SOLO SHOW
2025
“Domestic in a Foreign Sense”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI, US
“Bayamonesque”, Nino Mier Gallery, Brussels, BE
“diez-gracias”, DiabloRosso, Panama City, Panama, PA
2024
“Relator con Amargura”, Museu de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
2023
“Fichureos”, Almine Rech, Paris, FR
“A Trazos”, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US
“Guerras Tibias”, Almine Rech, London, UK
2022
“Quieto, Quietud, Quietudes”, Almine Rech, Shanghai, CN
2021
“Ut Queant Laxis”, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US
2019
“Rey de Rayas”, Galería Leyendecker, Isla Canarias
Green Gallery , Milwaukee
2018
José Lerma – Io e Io, Diablo Rosso, Panama City
2017
“The Last Upper”, Brand New Gallery, Milan
Nunquam Prandium Liberum, Kavi Gupta | Elizabeth St., Chicago, IL
“José Lerma”, Roberto Paradise, San Juan
2016
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo San Juan, Puerto Rico (forthcoming)
Kemper Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, “La Venida Cansa Sin Ti,” August 19 – June 25, 2017 Luis de Jesus Los Angeles, CA, “José Lerma and Josh Reames,” January 30 – March 5
2014
David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL, “Guaynabichean Odyssey,” December 1 – January 31
2015
Van Horn Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany, “The
Unitedstatian,” September 6 – October 30
Museum of Contemporary Art,
Detroit, MI, “La Bella Crisis,” May 16 – July 27
Andrea Rosen Gallery 2, New York, NY, “European Mixed Masters,” May 6 – June 14
Oliver Francis Gallery, Dallas, TX, “Josh Smith and José Lerma,” April 11 – May 3
Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, IL, “Gloriosa Superba,” February 22 – May 17
Roberto Paradise Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “Robusto Parasite,”
February 15 – April 5.
2013
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, “BMO Harris Bank Chicago Works: José Lerma,” July 2 – December 3 (catalogue)
ARCO Madrid, Spain, “Solo projects (with Hector Madera),” February 13 – 17
2012
Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton, NY, “Eddie Martinez and José Lerma,”August 11 – 29
Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC, “The Credentialist,” May 19 –
September 2
2011
Roberto Paradise Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “José Lerma: Jibaro Jizz,” December 7 – January 28
2012
Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, “The Lightweight,” April 8 – May 14
2010
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, NY, “I am sorry I am Perry,” December 10 – January 22
Galeria Marta Cervera, Madrid, Spain, “Spanish Revival,”
September 9 – October 29
2009 Galerie Loock/Wohnmaschine, Berlin, Germany, “El Pendejo,” September 12 – October 24
Green Gallery East, Milwaukee, WI, March 14 – April 11.
2007
ARARIO Gallery, Seoul, Korea, “José Lerma: Paintings,” May 25 – June 17 (catalogue)
Marty Walker Gallery, Dallas, TX, “New Prints by José Lerma,”
March 30 – May 5.
2006
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, NY, “The Golden Sea,” April 1 – April 29
2005 Xavier Hufkens, Brussels, Belgium, April 28 – May 28
Galleria Il Capricorno, Venice, Italy, March 4 – April 5
2004
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, NY, “Folklore of Our Times,” April 8 – Mayb15
2003
Southfirst Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, “Two Beats Off,” September 19 –
November 2
Galeriá Comercial, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “As if Accepting Defeat” 1R Gallery.
Chicago, IL, “Anne Schaacte and José Lerma” 7/3 Split Gallery, Chicago, IL.
“Please, Don’t Distort What We Had” (with Scott Roberts)
2002
Art Institutions Project Room, M&M Proyectos, Art Basel Miami Beach, FL
Southfirst Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, “Lives of the Obscure” (with Ellen Takata), curated by Amalia Culp, March 8 – April 20
GROUP SHOWS
2025
“X Factor: Latinx Artists and the Reconquest of the Everyday”, curated by Christian ViverosFauné, USF
Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL, US
2024
“Visages”, Almine Rech, New York, NY, US
2023
“Entre horizontes: Art and Activism Between Chicago and Puerto Rico”, Museum of Contemporary
2022
“Hooking Up: Meet the Collection”, Cleve Carney Museum of Art, Chicago, IL, US Seeking
“Knowledge”, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, Miami, Florida,
2021
“Group Show”, Feria de Arte Contemporáneo ESTAMPA Octubre
2021
Madrid, con la Galería Leyendecker.
ARCO Madrid 2021 , con la Galería Leyendecker, Madrid
“Group Show”, Feria de Arte Contemporáneo ESTAMPA, Madrid con la Galería Leyendecker.
2020
“The Figure in Solitude”, Online exhibition at Kavi Gupta
Online exhibition: Frieze New York 2020, Kavi Gupta Gallery
2019
Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist II, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York
“Repatriacon”, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico
“Happier Hours”, Elmhurst Museum of Art
“Idea Sale”, Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago
2017
Keep The Lights On, Diablo Rosso, Panama City Likeness, Jessica
Silverman Gallery, San Francisco In Paper We Trust, The Dot Project, London
2016
Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italy, “Imagine,” March 2 – April 2
2014
Lisa Cooley Gallery, New York, NY, “Eric’s Trip,” curated by Cynthia Daignault and Mark Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Pangea,” April 2 – August 31 (catalogue)
Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “Renuncias y Adopciones,” February 27 – April 26
Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, “Head,” January 31 – March 8
2013
McClain Gallery, Houston, TX, “More Than a Likeness,” September 7 – 28
Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Paper,” June 18 – September 29 (catalogue)
Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece, “The System of Objects,” curated by Andreas Angelidakis, May 15 – November 30
Van Horn Gallery, Dusseldorf, Germany, “Cabinet of Threads,” April 12 – June 1
Misako & Rosen, Tokyo, Japan, “19516 kilometers from Milwaukee or 12126 miles,” March 14 – March 31
Dean Jensen Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, “Pushing It: Innovative
Approaches in Printmaking,” March 8 – April 13
On Painting, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, March 1
Museo Segovia Lobillo, Malaga, Spain (catalogue)
Museo de Arte Dr. Pío López Martínez, University of Puerto Rico,
Cayey, Puerto Rico, “Impresiones, relieves y resonancias,” February 1 –February 1, 2014 La Productora, Santurce, Puerto Rico, “O te Peinas o te Haces Rolos”
2012
Edgar Alan Poe Park Center, Bronx, NY, “Swamp,” curated by Kari Adelaide, December 19 – January 18, 2013
Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI, “Tandem Press: 25 Years,” December 8 – February 3, 2013 (catalogue)
Art Amalgamated, New York, NY, “Material Breach,” November 14 – December 15
Ille Arts, Amagansett, NY, “RAW,” September 15 – October 10
Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, “Pasiones contemporáneas,” curated by Maria de la Santa, August 11 – January 21, 2013
INOVA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, “Michelle Grabner: The Inova Survey,” July 27 – September 23 (catalogue)
Ryan Travis Christian, Double Break, San Diego, CA, “Where My Cones At?,” July 27 – August 25
Josh Lilley Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Roberto Paradise Gallery, an exhibition from San Juan, Puerto Rico,” July 13 – August 11
Popular Center, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, “The Way In,” curated by Io Carrion, April 25
June Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL, “Someone Else’s Dream,” January 29 – May 6
Oakland University Art Gallery, Rochester, MI, “Idealizing the
Imaginary: Invention and Illusion in Contemporary Painting,” January 14 – April 1, 2012 (catalogue)
La Quince, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “Chiquitolina,” curated by Jorge Roman.
2011 Abierto, 1ra Bienal Tropical, Loiza, Puerto Rico, “Tropico,” December 10
Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, “Handler: a series of collaborative sculptures presented by John Riepenhoff,” December 9 – January 20, 2012
Kart Wash, Puerto Rico, “De Bayamon a la 15” Espacio 1414, Santurce, Puerto Rico, “Painting…Expanded,” curated by Marysol Nieves, November 3 – July 1, 2012
Dodge Gallery, New York, NY, “Go Figure,” curated by Eddie Martinez, October 6 – November 13
47 Canal, New York, NY, “The Green Gallery at 47 Canal,” August 6 – 28
Espacio Entre Medio, “Chemi’s Room,” San Juan, Puerto Rico
Monya Rowe Gallery, New York, NY, “To Tell the Truth,” curated by Joe Pflieger, June 17
July Jolie Laide, Philadelphia, PA, “Dirt Don’t Hurt,” curated by Bill Saylor, June 4 – July 23
Julius Caesar, Chicago, IL, “Irritable Abstraction,” curated by Susanne Doremus, April 3 – 24
The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, “A Person of Color/A Mostly Orange Exhibition,” curated by José Lerma, January 22 – February 27
2010
The Hogar Collection, Brooklyn, NY, “Go Figure,” December 17 – February 7, 2011
Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, “The Power of Selection Part 3,” curated by Travis Christian, November 19 – December 31
Middlesex College, Edison, NJ, “1o,” curated by Joe Pfleiger and Phillip Vanderhayden, November 18 – December 22
Lehmann Maupin, New York, NY, “Lush Life,” curated by Franklin Evans and Omar Lopez- Chahoud, July 8 – August 13
Sloane NYC, New York, NY, “The Mobile Uploads Project,” May 22 Can Xalant, Barcelona, Spain, “Museos Portátiles. Parking 101,” May 15 – June 15
Apex Art, NY, “Don’t Piss on Me and Tell Me It’s Raining,” curated by Bad At Sports, April 7 – May 22
Don’t Projects, Paris, France, “From NY With Love,” curated by Glorimarta Linares, March 23 – May 7
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, “One For All,” curated by Jessica Halonen
2009
Angstrom Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, “The Green Gallery’s Wallgasm,” curated by John Riepenhoff, September 26 – November 7
Spoke, Chicago, IL, “Objet Petit A” (with Cristina Tufino), September 11
Porter Butts Gallery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, “Good News,” curated by Amanda Schmitt, June 5 – July 21
Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany, “Dark Fair,” curated by Scott Reeder and Tyson Reeder, April 23 – 26
Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL, “Rattled by the Rush,” May 16 – July 11
Golden Age, Chicago, IL, “Cadaver Corpse,” curated by Tessa Perutz, May 2 – May 23
Travels to: Space 1028, Chicago, IL, July 3 – July 31
Galeria Candela, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “From NY With Love,” curated by Glorimarta Linares, April 15 – Jun.
2008
Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, Puerto Rico, “En sus marcas,” curated by Rebeca Noriega, October 2 – December 12 (catalogue)
Instituto Cervantes, New York, NY, “NY Motion 1.0,” curated by Paco Cano, September 23 – January, 2 2009 (catalogue)
Galleri Loyal, Stockholm, Sweden, “The Ice Cream Show,” April 11 – May 25
Southfirst Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, “Selected Works,” March 28 – April 27
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, “Learning by Doing: 25 Years of the Core Program,” curated by Alison de Lima Greene, March 8 – June 29, 2010 (catalogue)
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, MN, “Selections of the Permanent Collection,” January – April
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “En Sus Marcas,” curated by Rebeca Noriega (catalogue)
Alogon Gallery, Chicago, IL, “Alogon,” curated by Gaylen Gerber Samson Projects, Boston, MA, “It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know” (with Neutral Capital Collection), September 8 – October 14
2007
El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY, “5th Bienal, The (S) Files / The Selected Files,” curated by Elvis Fuentes, July 25 – January 2008 (catalogue)
Andrea Rosen Gallery, Amagansett, NY, “Dining Room Show,” July 21 – 22
Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, MI, “Stuff: International Contemporary Art from the Collection of Burt Aaron,” May 12 – July 29
Ziehersmith, New York, NY, “Someday Never Comes,” curated by Eddie Martinez, January 17 – February 17
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA, “Cerca Series (With Neutral Capital Collection)” Travels to: Lui Velazquez Gallery, Tijuana, Mexico
Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY, “New Labor (with Neutral Capital Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Los Angeles, CA
“Unfinished Paintings,” curated by Joshua Aster and Kristin Calabrese, June 16 – August 28
The Xchange, New York, NY, “Passport to the Arts,” sponsored by The New Yorker.
2006
Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain,“VAC colección Valencia arte contemporáneo,” December 21 – February 11, 2007 (catalogue)
Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, “Farewell to Icon,” curated by Karl Haendel and Maya Schindler, November 4 – December 22
Deste Foundation Center for Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece, “Panic Room: Works from the Dakis Joannou Collection,” curated by Jeffrey Deitch and Kathy Grayson, February 2 – April 14, 2007
Centro Cultural Español, Miami, FL, “Constant Disturbance,” curated by Jean Moreno Espacio 1414, Santurce, Puerto Rico, “Berezdivin Collection,” curated by Julieta Gonzalez.
2005 Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, NY, “Looking at Words: Formal Use of Text in Modern and Contemporary Works on Paper,” November 2 – January 4, 2006
Espacio 1414, Santurce, Puerto Rico, “1993-2005: Art of Puerto Rico in the Berezdivin Collection,” curated by Julieta Gonzalez, September 1 – May 1,
2006 Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, IL McClain Gallery, Houston, TX, “Monster Painting,” September (catalogue)
The Glassell School of Art of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, “2005 Core Artists in Residence,” (catalogue)
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, NY, “Curvaceous,” July 8 – July 9
2004
Mixture Gallery, Houston, TX, “Summer Drawings and Some Are Not,” curated by Lisa Cooley The Glassell School of Art of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, “2004 Core Artists in Residence,” (catalogue)
Glandier & Byrne, Paris, France, “American Violence: Peter Saul, José Lerma & Charles Andriessen” Southfirst Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, “Sadie Hawkins Dance,” May 21 – July 4
2003
EX Teresa Arte Actual, Mexico City, Mexico, “No Pasa Un Dia…,” curated by Guillermo Santamarina (catalogue)
Los Medanos College, San Francisco, CA, “Dinosaurs; Artists Look Back Into the Future” Galeriá Comercial, San Juan, Puerto Rico,
“Ensayo” 7/3 Split and M&M Proyectos, Chicago, IL, “Stray Show”
2002
M&M Proyectos, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “PR02 [En Ruta],” curated by Michelle Marxuach, October 6 – October 13 (catalogue)
Fortaleza 302, San Juan, Puerto Rico, “Primeras Obra”
2001 HUB Gallery, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, “Teeter-Totter” Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, “Catapult,” March – June
2000
Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL, “Artists of the New Millennium,” August 18 – October 29 (catalogue)
NFA/Sportsman Bodybuilder, Chicago, IL, “Multiples 4” University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, “Peaceable Kingdom” Wendy Cooper Gallery, Madison, WI
1999
Madison Art Center, Madison, WI, “Wisconsin Triennial” Commonwealth Gallery, Madison, WI, “Secrets about Goo,” curated by Scott Speh”.0