Lot L

Diego de la Rosa is a Venezuelan-born artist currently based in Toronto. His paintings combine fantasy and realism to create symbolic narratives that explore the cultural impact of Venezuela’s sociopolitical and migrant crises.

Venezuelan in Toronto is part of the series The Wanderers, which examines the psychological effects of migration within the Venezuelan diaspora. The painting presents a symbolic portrait of a Venezuelan expatriate as a bearer of culture and memory within a new society.

Set within a hybrid landscape that merges Toronto’s northern flora with Venezuela’s tropical tones, the figure wears references to llanero and Andean traditions, while horns inspired by the Devils of Yare evoke national folklore. White corn and sugarcane signify culinary heritage, and the broom he carries references the manual labour many migrants undertake upon arrival, affirming dignity, resilience, and cultural continuity.