Josep Grau-Garriga

JOSEP GRAU-GARRIGA (Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, 1929 – Angers, France, 2011).
Untitled, 1976.
Ink on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 44 x 60 cm; 58 x 74 cm (frame).

A female portrait rendered with extreme economy of means, using a fine, open, and barely interrupted line. Grau-Garriga constructs the figure using light strokes, almost suspended above the paper, which define the oval of the face, the gaze, the hair, and the raised arm with remarkable delicacy. The presence of the sheet or cloth held by the hand introduces an ambiguous element, halfway between an everyday gesture and a symbolic image.

Although Grau-Garriga is primarily known for his renewal of contemporary textile art, his drawing retains the same sensitivity toward material, rhythm, and transparency.

Josep Grau-Garriga was a key figure in the transformation of contemporary tapestry, particularly through his work at the Escola Catalana de Tapís in Sant Cugat. His work evolved toward material-based, experimental approaches characterized by great formal freedom, gaining significant international recognition. His work is represented in institutions such as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, the Museo Reina Sofía, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.