Collection: Juan Barjola

Juan Galea Barjola (Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Badajoz, September 19, 1919 - Madrid, December 21, 2004) was a Spanish painter whose work oscillates between abstraction and a distinctive representative expressionism, it being a mistake to classify him simply as tremendousist since His work does not deliberately aim to scare. In 1991 he received the Medal of Extremadura.

Juan Barjola experienced a continuous stylistic evolution. From his beginnings in 1934 with reproduction drawings, he progressed to an intense phase of interpretation of Old Masters and still lifes in 1943. This evolution continued with a more naturalistic style and expressionist nuances around 1946. In the late 1950s, he delved into cubism and expressionism, adopting the "new figuration" around 1959. The 70s stood out for their exploration of informalism and the incorporation of elements of Pop Art, using mirrors to fragment space, evidencing their mastery of color and form . In the 1980s, his palette softened, heading towards a more abstract surrealism. By 1985, his work emphasized expression, focused on the pure act of painting, highlighting his career of constant reinvention and consolidating his position as an emotional and versatile painter.

His work can be found – in addition to the Juan Barjola Museum – in art galleries such as the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao, the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, the Extremaduran and Ibero-American Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Solidarity of Chile, the IVAM; and in collections such as those of Aena, Telefónica and Eusebio Sempere of Alicante.