This season, Pérez Art Museum Miami is honoring Cuba-born, Miami-raised artist José Parlá with a sweeping exhibition of new works that delve into migration, Caribbean identity and Miami’s unique role in that narrative. On massive murals, Parlá orchestrates an intricate constellation of signs born from a dance-like, intuitive mark-making process to create a vivid tapestry of imaginary and allegorical maps that chart the movement of people—a layered, almost archaeological rendering of diasporic trails. Aptly titled “Homecoming,” the show is both a celebration and a heartfelt tribute to Parlá’s roots and the city that shaped him.
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The exhibition talks about the Caribbean region and the impact of history within, Parlá explained during a visit to his studio just days before the works were shipped out. “Migration is such a big conversation, not only in the world but specifically in Miami and Latin America,” he told Observer. His studio offered a preview of large canvases brimming with dynamic, interconnected signs. These pieces fuse the artist’s deeply personal experiences with the collective stories and cultural dynamics of an entire community, creating a kaleidoscopic microcosm that pulsates with life and history.
Parlá was preparing to ship not only these fruits of a months-long creative and deeply personal journey to Miami but also almost his entire studio. His work table, tools and even his Cuba-inspired record collection were headed to PAMM, where, for the first few weeks of the exhibition, visitors will encounter a living, breathing work in progress. Parlá is essentially transplanting his studio into the gallery space. “It’s inviting the public into an art studio because they always ask to come,” he explained. “It’s an invitation to go and see what’s inside behind the scenes.” (It’s a nod to an earlier part of his life when he was painting murals and people walking by would stop to watch or ask questions.)
Among the standout pieces in the show is HOMECOMING Before Time, The First Migrations (2024), a seemingly abstract map of Latin America that visualizes “heritage trails” of migration. These pathways reflect the journeys of individuals leaving their homes and countries, an idea central to Parlá’s work. He also incorporates collage elements into this series, embedding materials collected in Miami. “This series continues to be part of the dialog I have with the........