José Parlá Returns to His Roots with “Homecoming” at PAMM

Miami, FL – November 15, 2024 – José Parlá is returning to his South Florida roots with “José Parlá: Homecoming”, an exhibition now live at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) thru July 2025.

Raised between the U.S. and Puerto Rico by Cuban parents, Miami native José Parlá draws inspiration from a blend of cultural influences like hip hop, calligraphy, and urban decay. At just 10, he began painting art on walls in Miami, often signing his work with his nickname “Ease.” Known for his expressive, layered abstractions created through dynamic, physical gestures, Parlá uses his work to explore themes of identity and transformation.

Now, in a deeply personal exhibition titled “José Parlá: Homecoming” at the PAMM, he returns to his roots with a series of new artworks and a live, site-specific mural, offering visitors a glimpse into his artistic process.

“Homecoming is deeply rooted in my personal journey, shaped by the rich history of my origins. In this new series, each painting is created as an homage to my native home of Miami,” shared the artist with PAMM. “By using a process of layering ink, paint, plaster, and collaged posters that were once posted on the city’s walls, each painting bears the imprints of the region’s displacement, immigration, adaptation, and the transformation of words into gestures, made using the names of localities, countries, and its peoples. These abstract gestural marks become indelible echoes in the tapestry of historical psychology and geography, serving as a poignant universal narrative.”

Following Parlá’s near-fatal battle with COVID-19 in 2021, which left him in a coma for four months during which he suffered a stroke and significant brain bleeding, Homecoming symbolizes his recovery and return to his creative practice. The exhibition features an elaborate, two-part showcase: The first allows visitors to observe Parlá’s craft taking place in real time as he creates a site-specific mural, while the second portion transforms PAMM into Parlá’s vibrant studio, featuring paint-covered surfaces, personal memorabilia, and a Cuban-inspired soundtrack.

Beyond just a homecoming to Miami, the exhibit is a celebration of survival, embracing one’s origins, and the enduring connection between personal history and art.