J e f r e i d
Biography
Jefreid Lotti (b. 1989, Cuba) is an American artist based in Miami, FL. He received his MFA from the University of Florida in 2016 and has been active in the art world for over fifteen years, exhibiting extensively and conducting artist lectures, residencies, and workshops at cultural institutions across the United States. Working primarily in oil paint, Lotti's practice is characterized by his meticulous, impasto-laden depictions of intimate interiors, still lifes, and portraiture. His subject matter, often drawn from his Cuban heritage, his life in Miami, a formative period in the Midwest, and his day-to-day experiences at a mechanic shop, reflects a compelling blend of high and lowbrow sensibilities, merging blue-collar narratives with a refined artistic aesthetic.
In 2012, Lotti co-founded the artist group Serverus with Miguel Saludes and Alvaro Labanino, sparking a seven-year collaboration of painting-focused exhibitions. Over the past fifteen years, his work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Frost Art Museum, The Trout Museum of Art, Young At Art Museum, Coral Gables Museum, The Frank C. Ortis Gallery, and the Lawton Gallery. His art has also been featured in esteemed galleries, including Bernice Steinbaum Gallery (Miami), James May Gallery (Milwaukee), Platabanda Gallery (Miami), Amat Art Gallery (Miami), and Good Naked (NY).
Lotti’s works reside in numerous private and public collections across the United States, including Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA), Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL), the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (WI), University of Florida Galleries (Gainesville, FL), University of Miami Business School (Miami, FL), and the Coral Gables Museum (Coral Gables, FL). In 2020, he co-founded the artist collective @hot_stuf11 and CONVIVIR, an artistic partnership with his wife, Krystal T. Rodriguez. Lotti made his international debut with Good Naked Gallery (NY) at the Minor Attraction Art Fair in London, UK, in 2024.
Artist Statement
I'm currently working on two bodies of work Essential Work (2020- ) and MOODS (2015-) Although the subject matter overlaps at times, the design and process of each series is very different from each other.
Essential Work is a series of observational paintings of the mechanic shop where I work a full time job. These oil paintings of lone objects are done in isolation and after closing time. The shop being an "essential business" remained open during the worst of the pandemic, while most of the world was on lockdown. I ceased on the opportunity to use the space as a studio and subject matter. These paintings are as much about formalism as they are about becoming resilient through challenges like isolation and financial hardship. I see these works as a homage to the blue collar workers I grew up around, Those who keep the modern world running through any adversity.
Moods is an ongoing series of expressive, textural portraits and still lifes rendered primarily with oil on handmade papers. These works, many of which are self-portraits, draw inspiration from moments of everyday life—whether it’s the sweaty resilience of a blue-collar worker or the quiet introspection of a mother absorbed in her phone. This work borders between figuration and abstraction. I build textured papers with uneven edges and apply thick, gestural layers of paint. These layers are combined with elements of collage, drawing, and printmaking. The result is a precarious surface that reveals the vulnerability of both the subject and the maker.