José Luis Fuentetaja

JOSÉ LUIS FUENTETAJA (Madrid, 1951).
“Traditional Scene in Jaisalmer.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 60 x 75 cm.

José Luis Fuentetaja began working in advertising at the age of thirteen, while attending the Vallecas School of Arts and Crafts. A year later, he traveled to Geneva, where he was directly exposed to painting and decided to devote himself exclusively to it. Upon his return to Spain, he enrolled in the School of Fine Arts, and in 1966 he visited Sitges for the first time—a place he would return to every year and later make his home. During these years, he began selling his paintings at the Rastro flea market in Madrid and later on the streets of Sitges. In this way, he completed his studies and supported himself financially. While in Madrid, he took classes with Pedro Mozas at the School of Fine Arts and began to gain a deep understanding of painting. In 1969, he began painting street portraits. In Sitges, together with other friends, he created a vibrant artistic scene on the Paseo de la Ribera, overlooking the sea, which still thrives today. It was also during this period that he began traveling throughout Europe, painting views of Paris, London, and Amsterdam. During these bohemian years, he spent every winter in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for five years, settling in Santa Catalina Park, where he worked and came into direct contact with the diverse characters who populated the city’s streets—an experience that would shape the future direction of his painting. In 1969, he befriended Sidney Nagley, who organized his first exhibition in Toronto. Shortly thereafter, he left his studies and began painting exclusively in his studio. In 1970, he held his first exhibition in Spain, at the Ateneo de Barcelona. Around this time, he befriended Fernando Gutiérrez, the art critic for *La Vanguardia*, and the Count of Caralt commissioned him to create the illustrations for a new edition of García Lorca’s *Romancero gitano*. Some time later, he held his first exhibition at a commercial gallery—at the Majestic Gallery in Barcelona—featuring a splendid collection of nude drawings that earned him considerable success. Around this time, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Spanish Academy in Rome, which he was, however, forced to give up due to his obligation to perform military service. A few days before enlisting in 1973, he opened a major exhibition of hyperrealist paintings at the Quatre Gats Gallery in Palma de Mallorca. Since then, intense work and the daily struggle to improve have set the tone for this painter’s life. His exploration of styles and settings, along with his travels throughout Europe—always on the lookout for new artistic trends—have shaped the artistic direction he pursues today. Over the past twenty years, he has divided his time between his two studios, in Sitges and Goa (India); the explosion of color and light in India and Nepal has defined his artistic language ever since. Throughout his career, Fuentetaja has exhibited his work in Spain as well as in Milan, Geneva, New York, Sintra, Lisbon, Miami, and Toronto.