MIAMI, FLA.- Pérez Art Museum Miami announced the recipient of the first Pérez Prize by Jorge and Darlene Pérez is Christina Quarles, in honor of her outstanding achievements and impact on the current art historical narrative. The $50,000 prize recognizes recent achievement in artistic innovation.

Working between abstraction and figuration, Quarles’ painting style, while thoroughly contemporary, also mines histories of genres, most especially surrealism. Of Quarles’ work, Wendy Vogel writes in Art in America: “Quarles dabbles in methods evoking those that radicalized the very notion of painting, like Helen Frankenthaler’s pouring technique and Lynda Benglis’s usage of acrylic paint as a sculptural medium.”

The generous new award is funded by a gift from local patrons of the arts Jorge and Darlene Pérez, and reflects their commitment to supporting excellence in international contemporary art, representing diverse artistic perspectives, and drawing attention to remarkable talents. Quarles will be celebrated tomorrow night at PAMM’s Art of the Party, the museum’s largest fundraiser event of the year. The selection was made by PAMM’s curatorial team in collaboration with The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and honors experimentation, creativity and promise. It is also a symbol of PAMM’s mission to be a leader in the presentation, study and interpretation of international modern and contemporary art.

Christina Quarles is known for figurative paintings that confront questions of racial and sexual identity, gender, and queerness. Most recently, Quarles received major recognition for her works in the Hammer Museum’s “Made in L.A. 2018” biennial, and one of those works was acquired by PAMM through the museum’s Collectors Council.

“We are thrilled to recognize Christina Quarles at this important moment in her career,” said Franklin Sirmans, PAMM Director. “Christina’s work, like that of our museum, offers new ways of seeing art history and I am excited to see what she accomplishes in the next step of her career.”

Starting in 2020, the Pérez Prize recipients will be selected by a jury comprised of international leaders, practitioners, and experts in the field. Future iterations of the award will emphasize artists in pivotal phases of their careers, celebrating outstanding achievement and supporting their artistic development moving forward. Award winners will be announced at PAMM’s annual Art of the Party.

“Our entire family feels very fortunate to be able to provide long-term support for artists and their craft. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we look forward to continuing to work with the PAMM team to identify and celebrate talent with far-reaching, multi-generational impact,” said Jorge Pérez.

Christina Quarles was born in Chicago, IL in 1985 and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She completed her BA at Hampshire College in 2007 with a double concentration in Philosophy and Studio Arts. Christina earned her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale University in 2016. She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her wife and two cats.