J e f r e i d
Biography
Jefreid Lotti (b. 1989, Cuba) is an American artist based in Miami, FL. He earned his MFA from the University of Florida in 2016 and has dedicated over fifteen years to exhibiting his work, delivering artist lectures, and engaging in residencies and workshops at cultural institutions across the United States. Lotti’s practice, rooted in oil painting, is distinguished by painterly renderings of local interiors, still lifes, and portraits. Drawing inspiration from his Cuban heritage, life in Miami, a formative year in the Midwest, and day-to-day experiences of working in a mechanic shop, Lotti’s work seamlessly merges blue-collar narratives with a refined artistic sensibility.
In 2012, Lotti co-founded the artist group Serverus with Miguel Saludes and Alvaro Labanino, leading to a seven-year collaboration focused on painting centric exhibitions. His work has been showcased at prominent institutions, including the Frost Art Museum, The Trout Museum of Art, Young At Art Museum, The Art & Culture Center/Hollywood, The Coral Gables Museum, The Frank C. Ortis Gallery, and the Lawton Gallery. His art has also appeared in respected galleries such as Bernice Steinbaum Gallery (Miami), James May Gallery (Milwaukee), Platabanda Gallery (Miami), Amat Art Gallery (Miami), and Good Naked (NY).
Lotti’s pieces are part of several private and public collections, 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 collaboration with his wife, Krystal T. Rodriguez. His international debut occurred in 2024 at the Minor Attraction Art Fair in London, UK, presented by Good Naked Gallery (NY).
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.