While celebrating life, death, and the afterlife, Joel Gaitan's work explores questions of identity, sexuality, and ancestral lineage. From forgotten languages to erased cultures, he immerses himself in traditional hand-building clay techniques, carrying forward a sacred Nicaraguan and Central American tradition within a colonized world.

Galerie Lefebvre & Fils is pleased to present the exhibition Solo Quedan Los Recuerdos, by American-Nicaraguan artist Joel Gaitan, from December 11, 2025 to January 25, 2026.

Raised in the Pentecostal faith, Gaitan still carries within him the music, the verses, and the Holy Spirit — but through his own interpretation. He highlights Nicaraguan ways of life and aesthetics through ceramics and other mediums, creating portraits that weave together poetry, color, and narrative. Each work is regarded by Gaitan as an offering to his ancestors: those he has met, and those he never knew.

Joel Gaitan is currently in residence in Versailles as part of The Residency, a program launched by Galerie Lefebvre & Fils in 2015. This program reflects a commitment to supporting contemporary creation while highlighting craftsmanship tied to the fire arts. All works created by Joel Gaitan during The Residency will be presented in a solo show at the gallery starting November 20.

Joel Gaitan (born 1995 in Miami) is an American-Nicaraguan ceramic artist. A graduate of Miami Dade College (2014), he lives and works in Miami.
He has held solo exhibitions at Rockefeller Center (New York, 2023), the NSU Art Museum (Fort Lauderdale, 2023), and at KDR (Miami, 2024, 2021), among others. His works have been shown at Pace Gallery, Jeffrey Deitch, and El Museo del Barrio.

A recipient of the USLA Forum Latinx Artist Fellowship (2024), Joel Gaitan was in residence at the Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris, 2023). His works are held in the collections of the NSU Art Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Nasher Museum, and the ICA Miami. He is represented by KDR (Miami) and The Pit (Los Angeles).