Studio Visit: In His Downtown Brooklyn Studio, Artist José Parlá Follows the Sun in the Skylights to Paint Vibrant, Colossal Works

For Cuban-born artist José Parlá, sunlight and music are the foundations of a good studio practice. The artist who has lived and worked in Brooklyn for 27 years found his current studio—a classic industrial warehouse space—over a decade ago while riding his bicycle around the downtown area. 

 

Renovated by architectural firm Snøhetta, the studio today is a sprawling, light-filled creative space with a full kitchen, a library, and areas devoted to listening and playing records. Over the past year, Parlá has split his time between this studio and Miami, where he grew up, preparing new work for his upcoming exhibition “Phosphene” at Ben Brown Fine Arts in London (October 11—November 17, 2023). 

 

 

October 10, 2023