José Lerma was born in Spain, and grew up in Puerto Rico. He received a B.A. from Tulane University, and an M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin Madison. In addition, he attended the CORE Residency Program, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine. Lerma creates mixed-media paintings, primarily portraits, that draw from both historical and autobiographical references. Through his work, he records and processes the world around him, particularly dynamics of social and political power through an art history lens. Lerma is currently an Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he has taught since 2009.
He has had over twenty solo exhibitions at galleries such as Almine Rech in Paris, London and Shanghai (2023) Kavi Gupta in Chicago, IL (2020, 2017, 2014), Galerie Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York, NY (2014, 2010, 2006, 2004), and at museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (2014), and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (2013) His works are represented in numerous collections, including The Saatchi Collection in London, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.