Left: “Painting” 1943, oil and pastel on canvas, 40×30 cm, Juan Miró Foundation, Barcelona, donated by Joan Prats; Right: “Woman and Island” 1967, colored bronze, 120×48.2×45 cm, Juan Miró Foundation, Barcelona (Image provided and authorized for use by the Juan Miró Foundation, Barcelona. Photography: Jaume Blassi. All Juan Miró artwork images licensed for use by Successio Miro / ADAGP, Paris – SACK, Seoul, 2023. Photography: Successio Miro Archived)
Spanish art master Juan Miró is famous for his surrealistic works and is known as one of the “Three Giants of Spanish Modern Art” along with Picasso and Dalí. Miró was born into a family of craftsmen in Spain, with his father being a watchmaker and goldsmith, and his mother being the daughter of a carpenter. Growing up in a household filled with a crafty atmosphere, Miró showed a strong passion for painting from a young age.
During his early studies in art school, he had the opportunity to encounter many avant-garde artists, such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Rousseau, whose works influenced his artistic creation. Since then, he has also extensively explored the techniques of Fauvism, Cubism, and Dadaism, gradually developing his own artistic style.
In the 1920s, Miró joined some surrealist groups, whose ideas about the definition of art challenged traditional norms and led him to adopt a critical attitude towards traditional painting. Since then, he began to use different materials for his creations.
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Miro’s lifelong creative attitude is to connect art with life. He is skilled at discovering the poetic qualities of ordinary objects from daily life. Therefore, nature and any insignificant things in life are his sources of inspiration. He enjoys collecting various unusual objects, some of which are easily found during his walks in the countryside, such as wood, fiber cement boards, sandpaper, brass plates, etc., which are materials he often uses. He collages the collected objects and transforms them into three-dimensional paintings, sculptures, and other works. This creative approach was considered quite innovative in that era.
However, Miró did not completely abandon painting, but instead incorporated his unique style into his artwork. His paintings are more abstract, with no clear and specific forms. They usually consist of lines, simple characters, and doodles similar to those of a child. In terms of color, he often uses bright colors such as red, yellow, green, blue, black, and white. Sometimes, the canvas is layered with blocks of color, and his brushstrokes are very expressive.
The works appear to be free-spirited and whimsical, but in fact, the artist has already conceived the form of the objects before putting pen to paper, and through subconscious strokes, they have created these seemingly free-spirited patterns. The visual effects they present are filled with romantic poetry.
Miró is hailed as a “modern rebel” in the art world, refusing to confine himself to the visual exploration of a single medium. Throughout his long career, although he repeatedly explored certain themes such as nature, celestial bodies, geometry, women, birds, and the sun, he delved deeply into different subjects in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics. Miró used his inner emotions to drive his brush, greatly influencing abstract expressionism and surrealism, and providing significant inspiration for later artists.
Currently, the Hong Kong Museum of Art is collaborating with the Joan Miró Foundation from Spain for the first time to present the exhibition “The Poetry of Everyday Life” (「米羅的詩想日常」). The exhibition showcases over 90 carefully curated masterpieces from different periods and mediums, including paintings, sculptures, sketches, textiles, lithographs, posters, and related audiovisual materials. If you are interested in this art master, you may consider visiting the exhibition in person!
“The Poetry of Everyday Life: Joan Miró”
Date: From now until June 28, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Closed on Thursdays)
Location: Special Exhibition Hall, 2nd floor, Hong Kong Museum of Art
Ticket Price: $30│$21│$15
Learn more: Hong Kong Museum of Art
