Born in 1957, Miquel Barceló is a Spanish abstract artist, known for his conceptual paintings and sculpture. Experimenting across a wide range of media, Barceló celebrates light and the natural landscape. Barceló belonged to the Neo-Expressionist and avant-garde movement of the early 1980s. He credits Italian painter and sculptor, Lucio Fontana, as having a major impact on his work. These influences can be seen in his rough handling of materials.
Barcelo’s travels have also shaped his work. His paintings feature materials such as African ceramics and cast iron, sourced from his travels across Europe, America and West Africa. During this time, he based himself Paris, France, where he continues to work today.
Alongside his extensive travelling, Barceló’s work reflects his native Majorca. The sea has remained his muse, as he continues to emulate its ever-changing shapes and colours. He is also influenced by the textures of the desert. Whilst he sometimes uses the two landscapes to juxtapose one another, he reflects that both entering a cave and diving underwater affect one’s experience of time and light.
Barceló is recognised for his instillation at the San Pedro Cathedral, Majorca, which represents the Biblical tale of Jesus multiplying bread and fish, and for his piece on the ceiling of the Palace of Nations, which uses colourful stalactites to create a ‘sea and cave’ space. Galleries and museums have exhibited his work across the globe. Barceló is the youngest artist to have his work exhibited at the Louvre in Paris.
