Jaume Plensa

JAUME PLENSA (Barcelona, 1955).
“Life,” 2003.
Mixed media on paper.
Signed and dated in pencil in the lower left corner.
On the reverse, labels from Galerie Lelong in Paris and Richard Gray Gallery in Chicago.
Measurements: 24 x 16 cm; 36 x 28 cm (with frame).

Created in 2003, “Life” belongs to a significant phase in Jaume Plensa’s career, during which the artist delved deeper into the relationships between the body, matter, language, and human experience. His works on paper constitute an essential aspect of his body of work, developed in parallel with his sculptural explorations, and allow him to explore these themes on a more intimate and experimental scale.

During the early years of the 21st century, Plensa developed an artistic language in which drawing, experimentation with materials, and literary references took on special significance. This work is situated within this creative context, coinciding with exhibitions such as “Crystal Rain,” held at Galerie Lelong in Paris in 2003, and “Who? Why?,” presented that same year at the gallery’s New York location.

Jaume Plensa is one of Spain’s most internationally renowned sculptors, recognized for his explorations of the human figure, spirituality, and language. His career includes exhibitions at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and the Musée Picasso in Antibes. Among his most iconic public projects is “Crown Fountain” (2004), installed in Millennium Park in Chicago. He received the National Prize for Visual Arts in 2012 and, in 2013, the Velázquez Prize for Visual Arts and the National Prize for Graphic Art. His work is included in collections such as those of the MACBA and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.