2024-02-01 10:12:12
Luisa Granero. The strength of a woman, Pablo Gargallo Museum, Zaragoza. From January 18 to April 7, 2024.
On the occasion of its centenary, this retrospective is celebrated of the author of one of the most emblematic works of public art in Zaragoza, Fuente de las Aguadoras (1980), located at the entrance to the Las Fuentes neighborhood, and she was married to the sculptor Enrique Galcerà, author of the Zaragoza public sculpture La Siesta.
Curated by Enric Galcerà, son of Luisa Granero, and Anna Llauradó, the exhibition traces a sequence of her life and work, showing not only a strong woman with a masterful sculptural technique but the importance of being the first woman professor of Sculpture in Spain.
The exhibition is divided into three areas that thematically relate his life and work:
• A woman with the soul of an artist: origins. In this first room, portraits, photographs and documents from the sculptor’s early youth are shown, where we see the first steps that lead her to achieve her dream, in a post-war moment, in the poorest and darkest Barcelona.
• The discovery of sculpture: training The exhibition continues through its most emblematic works, where the female representation stands out with strength, passion and honesty. Strong and powerful women, influenced by their great teachers such as Ernest Santasusagna, Lluis Muntané, Enrique Montó among others. In the early sixties she established herself as a sculptor with exhibitions, awards and public sculpture commissions that show the greatness of the artist.
• Luisa Granero: Academic In 1964, she took the exam in front of a male tribunal to apply for the Chair of Sculpture and Composition at the Faculty of Fine Arts, becoming the first woman professor of Sculpture in Spain. This includes the academic side and the latest works of a tireless woman sculptor who created countless drawings, sketches and theoretical writings, being respected and admired by her students and by all the people who knew her.
About Luisa Granero
Luisa Granero Sierra was born in Barcelona on July 5, 1924, into a humble family of Andalusian origin. At the age of 16 she entered the Barcelona School of Arts and Crafts and later continued her studies at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts. She worked as a model and assistant to different sculptors such as Enrique Monjó. Her life develops in a masculine world where a woman has no space, but her strength and passion drive her to be a consolidated artist, being a great sculptor and recognized from the 60s onwards. In 1964 she obtained the Chair of Modeling and Composition from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Barcelona, becoming the first female professor in Spain. She taught classes until she retired, but she never stopped sculpting until she passed away on March 27, 2012 at the age of 88.
Creator of more than 800 sculptures, paintings and drawings, it should be noted that monumental works by the artist are found in the Albéniz Palace in Barcelona, the San Sebastián beach in Sitges, La Verge del Roser in the Virreina palace, etc. Throughout his life, national recognitions and awards were numerous: Honor Award and the Gold Medal from the Royal Academy of Saint Isabel of Hungary in Seville, academic from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, and member of the National Sculpture Society of New York among others.
In 2006 he gave the entrance speech at the Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi: «I have fought a lot. I often can’t believe what I have achieved, coming from where I come from and at the time I was born, a woman in the 40s, from humble origins, it was not easy at all to become a sculptor. But that has been my strength and I have been happy.
The visitor will discover a sculptor who fought in a male world, where a woman had no place. In her works, the representation of the female figure stands out, predominating the theme of motherhood and the female nude, rotund and powerful women, who emanate strength, passion and honesty. Her plastic language eliminates all unnecessary elements, creating sculptures that transmit from within simplicity, everyday life, the simplicity of forms, balance and sensuality. Her sculpture transmits us a sensitivity towards the Mediterranean and she reminds us of the influences of three sculptors such as Manolo Hugué, Auguste Maillol and Josep Clarà, the last two Noucentistas.
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