Joan Gardy Artigas was born in Paris in 1938 and trained in both Paris and Gallifa. He is one of few artists who, without giving up on his ambition, has made honesty and the search for freedom the path on which he has built a constant, solid and brilliant career, full of light, from the late fifties to the present. His work explores the boundaries of sculpture and ceramics, monumental sculpture, as well as lithography, engraving and drawing, expressing the concerns of a life lived to the full. Humour and eroticism, death and violence, and even joie de vivre, are some of the many themes that have inspired him and led him to create a body of work that is full of surprises.
Often identified by his surroundings – whether they be as the son of Josep Llorens Artigas, as a collaborator with Joan Miró and Georges Braque, as a friend of Picasso or as a witness to endless experiences with some of the greatest artists in the twentieth century – Joan Gardy Artigas is a tireless creator himself, and merits a retrospective to pay tribute to his work, and to publicly recognise his career and his high-quality artistic contribution. In short, this is a tribute to a demanding, and at the same time humble and freedom-loving artist.
Exhibition curated by Ricard Bru.
© Joan Gardy Artigas: Model for Porte Bleue, 1973. © Xavi Padrós