Josep Cañas

JOSEP CAÑAS I CAÑAS (Banyeres del Penedés, Tarragona, 1905 – El Vendrell, Tarragona, 2001).
“Female Figure,” c. 1940.
Marble.
Signed.
Measurements: 50 x 26 x 9 cm; 54 cm (height including base).

A self-taught draftsman and sculptor, Josep Cañas took several courses at the School of Arts and Crafts in Villanueva and La Geltrú, and soon came into contact with artists such as Damià Torrents and Joaquín Mir. In 1925, after spending some time in Sitges, Cañas settled in Barcelona, where he joined the Sant Lluc Circle and the Royal Artistic Circle, serving on the board of directors of the latter. During these years, he devoted himself to landscape painting, and in 1927 he participated in the Second Penedès Art Exhibition, held in El Vendrell. He also became involved in theater during this period, and in 1927 his first play premiered. Two years later, he would once again take part in the Penedès Exhibition. In 1930, he set up his first studio in Barcelona, thanks to a grant from the Provincial Council of Tarragona, and in 1932, he held his first solo exhibition at the Sala Parés. From that time on, Cañas exhibited his work regularly at the Montjuïc Salon. In 1935, he was awarded a travel grant by the Generalitat, which allowed him to travel to London to visit the British Museum, and later to Paris. Upon his return, in 1937, he was appointed secretary of the Casal de Cultura de Cataluña, though he declined the position to go fight on the Ebro Front. There, however, he did not see combat but instead devoted himself to creating the models commissioned by the General Staff. After the war ended, he won the sculpture prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1942, and the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona acquired one of his works. The following year, he worked with Ignacio Zuloaga, and in 1947 he held an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid, where the Institute of Hispanic Culture acquired one of his works to take it to the Americas. He then set sail, accompanying the artwork, which was installed in Carmel, California. In that same city, he held an exhibition of works created there the following year. He then traveled to Mexico, where he remained for several years and held various exhibitions of his work, held in both Mexico and New York. In 1954, he exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico, and the following year he left the country to participate in the Hispanic-American Biennial held in Barcelona, where an entire room was dedicated to his work. Once settled back in Spain, he continued to exhibit his work at prestigious venues such as the Parés Gallery in Barcelona, the O’Hana Gallery in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid, while also carrying out major commissions for the Geneva Museum and other prominent patrons. In 1957, he won a medal at the National Fine Arts Exhibition, and in 1964, he unveiled the relief “La Sardana” in Madrid’s Retiro Park, a commission from the Casal Català in that city. His public and official recognition continued to grow; books featuring his work were published, and he was awarded honors such as the Cross of Sant Jordi from the Government of Catalonia in 1986, as well as the title of “illustrious son” of his hometown. In 2001, the house where he was born was converted into a museum, where visitors can view the four stages of his work in chronological order. His work is currently represented in the Library of Catalonia, the Museums of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Bilbao, and Madrid, and the National Anthropological Museum in Mexico, among other public and private collections.