ANTONI CLAVé
Antoni Clavé, born in Barcelona in 1913 and died in Saint-Tropez in 2005, established himself as a versatile Spanish artist. Defining himself as a "craftsman of art," he stands out for his skill in using various materials and techniques. His artistic career, which began with a strong figurative imprint, gradually evolved towards abstract art with a disruptive gestural style.
His training began as a craftsman, where he experimented with tempera, glue, and drawing. In the 1930s, Antoni Clavé explored collage, combining different materials and techniques.
His participation in the Spanish Civil War as a soldier of the Republican army led him to France as a refugee in 1939, where he settled in Paris to work as an illustrator.
In Paris, in 1940, he held his first solo exhibition at the bookstore Au sans Pareil, marking the beginning of his artistic career. The meeting with Pablo Picasso in 1944 deeply influenced his style, leading him towards figurative compositions reflecting themes such as Harlequins and still lifes.
In the 1950s, Antoni Clavé established himself in the international art scene, receiving numerous awards, including the Unesco Prize for graphics at the Venice Art Biennale in 1956. His artworks are exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco, the Tate and the British Museum in London, and the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris.
His style evolved from a baroque and ornamental style towards a pure and minimal aesthetic, culminating in a completely abstract work that explores collage, found objects, and shading. Antoni Clavé is distinguished by his lyrical abstractions that combine painting and collage.
Besides painting, Antoni Clavé also devoted himself to theater, creating set designs for operas, ballets, and cinema, including the 1952 film Hans Christian Andersen, for which he received two Academy Award nominations.
In 1957, he began designing carpets and from 1960 worked on sculptural bas-reliefs, assemblages, and totemic sculptures. In 1965, he moved to Saint-Tropez, where he lived until his death.
In 1984, the Venice Biennale dedicated the Spanish pavilion entirely to Antoni Clavé. After his death, important retrospectives were organized, such as the one at the Fondation Fernet-Branca di Saint-Louis in 2006 and at the Galerie Beyeler di Basilea in 2008.
In 2011, in Yamanashi, a building dedicated to Antoni Clavé, designed by Tadao Ando, was inaugurated, symbolizing the bond between Japan and the artist. His artworks continue to enrich the collections of important museums such as the Museo Nacional de Arte de Reina Sofia in Madrid.
