Abstract plastic artist

Manolo Millares, born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1926, was a self-taught artist who began experimenting with surrealism before moving toward constructivist and aboriginal-inspired works. He co-founded the LADAC group and later the influential El Paso group, both crucial in revitalizing Spanish postwar art and introducing a new language of abstraction. His powerful burlap sack works (arpilleras) marked a turning point, gaining international recognition with exhibitions at MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Tate Gallery, and other major institutions. Represented by prominent dealers like Pierre Matisse and Daniel Cordier, his art is known for its dramatic intensity, material experimentation, and deep emotional resonance. His Antropofauna series crowned a remarkable career, leaving a lasting legacy celebrated through major posthumous retrospectives in Spain and abroad.