MANOLO Valdés
recent works
Opera Gallery Paris
16 September - 13 October 2022
The purpose of art has long been to depict humankind and its environment, oscillating between pure depiction and the evocation of a presence. According to Manolo Valdés, his aim is to exalt the beauty and elegance of materials.
The most prominent contemporary Spanish artist of his generation – he just celebrated his 80th birthday – Valdés is an accomplished painter and sculptor who started his career as a founding member of the eminent Spanish Pop Art collective, Equipo Crónica. Pursuing his artistic journey solo as of 1981, his approach distinctively focuses on a reinterpretation of the great masters, from the Renaissance to the modern period.
For over thirty years, Manolo Valdés has lived and worked in New York, where he recently completed a new series comprising approximately twenty works of art. This ensemble is the natural continuation of his aesthetic exploration, as he ceaselessly reinvents the portrait genre while revisiting art history. After a remarkable solo exhibition in 2017, Opera Gallery Paris is delighted to present his latest creations to the public.
Manolo Valdés
Mariposas Blancas2022
Wood and steel
127 x 71 x 71 cm | 50 x 28 x 28 in
Manolo Valdés
Untitled I2022
Glass and steel
111,5 x 63,5 x 45,5 cm | 44 x 25 x 18 in
Manolo Valdés
Matisse Como Pretexto XVI2022
Mixed media on wood
100 x 130 cm | 39.5 x 51.2 in
"I am just a narrator who comments on the history of painting in various ways, using new materials: it is like a game that consists of changing the code and the key to the artwork… Many of my colours, materials and textures are the product of relived experiences of other masters. My painting involves much reflection."
Manolo Valdés
Constructivismo Azul2022
Wood and polychromated steel
117 x 76 x 53,5 cm | 46 x 30 x 21 in
Manolo Valdés
Cabeza con una Mariposa2022
Glass and steel
99 x 63,5 x 28 cm | 39 x 25 x 11 in
Manolo Valdés
Odalisca2020
Mixed media on wood
195,5 x 373 cm | 77 x 147 in
Manolo Valdés
Perfil XIII2022
Mixed media on wood
158 x 158 cm | 62 x 62 in
Manolo Valdés
Matisse Como Pretexto en Azules2022
Mixed media on wood
146 x 120 cm | 57.5 x 47 in
Manolo Valdés
Cabeza Blanca con Tocado Azul2022
Wood and steel
160 x 109 x 68,5 cm | 63 x 43 x 27 in
Manolo Valdés
Murano head2022
Aluminium head with steel and Murano glass headdress
125 x 85 x 35 cm | 49.2 x 33.5 x 13.8 in
Manolo Valdés
Picasso Como Pretexto II2022
Mixed media on wood
146 x 119,5 cm | 57.5 x 47 in
Manolo Valdés
Picasso Como Pretexto IV2022
Mixed media on wood
164 x 164 cm | 64.5 x 64.5 in
Manolo Valdés
Glass and Butterflies2022
Glass and steel
114,3 x 116,8 x 34,3 cm | 45 x 46 x 13.5 in
Manolo Valdés
Cabeza Blanca con Mariposas Plateadas2022
Wood and steel
274 x 139,5 x 132 cm | 108 x 55 x 52 in
Manolo Valdés
Picasso Como Pretexto I (Doble Imagen)2022
Mixed media on wood
146 x 239 cm | 57.5 x 94 in
Manolo Valdés
Cabeza XXV2022
Wood and resin
150 x 178 x 73,5 cm | 59 x 70 x 29 in
Manolo Valdés
Cabeza de Vidrio con Tocado de Resina y Metales2022
Glass, resin and steel
68,5 x 33 x 25,5 cm | 27 x 13 x 10 in
"We build upon that which art history has placed in our hands"
Manolo Valdés
Madera con Colores2022
Wood and resin
167,6 x 154,9 x 49,5 cm | 66 x 61 x 19.5 in