Àlvar Suñol Muños-Ramos' uniquely distinctive artwork follows the tradition of other great Spanish painters of the 20th Century, including Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. His technique of layering color and texture within his subjects is also reminiscent of the iconographic style of Marc Chagall. His images express a symbolic and emotional subtext which strike an unusual balance between the literal and the subconscious.
Àlvar was born the Catalan fishing village of Montgat, Spain in 1935. He began painting with oils at the age of twelve, and has since endeavored to pursue his craft to the highest possible degree. At the age of sixteen, he was admitted to the prestigious Ecola de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi in Barcelona, and at eighteen won the Alhambra de Granada grant, a summer scholarship that allowed him to travel and paint throughout Spain. During this period, one of his paintings was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona for its permanent collection. In 1957, Àlvar presented his first one-man show at Barcelona's Galleries Layetana. The tremendous success of this premiere exhibition would open the door for shows in other Spanish cities. Shortly thereafter, he was awarded the Grand Prize at the annual painting competition at the Institut Francais of Barcelona. With this honor came the opportunity to study in Paris where he met fellow Spaniard Juan Fuentes, who was also the director of the renowned Gallery Drouant. Fuentes brought Àlvar's first group of Paris oil paintings to the gallery, all of which sold within the week. Shortly thereafter, Àlvar was invited to join the celebrated School of Paris, an organization of the distinguished Charpentier Gallery which assembled the most accomplished young artists in the city.
Àlvar returned to Barcelona in 1960 to marry Rosella Berenguer--his childhood sweetheart--before returning together to Paris. Within the next few years, two significant exhibitions of his work moved him further into the international spotlight. The first of these, a 1962 showing at the Monede Gallery in New York City, brought his images to the attention of an American audience. After that, a decisive one-man show at the Parisian Gallery Drouant in 1963 solidified his status as one of the most important artists of our time.
In 1970, Àlvar, Rosella and their three children returned to their beloved Spain where they still reside to this day. His lithographs, paintings and sculpture have since been displayed in major shows throughout the world. In 1978, Àlvar's highly prized lithographs were honored in a retrospective exhibition at the Musée Hyacinthe Rigaud in Perpignan, France. Additionally, a number of his lithographs are housed in the permanent collections of the Kumamoto Museum and the Fukuoka Museum in Japan.
View the Artist's Website.
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Tributo Duradero
Bible Suite II
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