Newman Huo

PORTRAITS, human bodies, masks and architecture, all details have presented how cold and lifeless metal has been changed into exquisite works of art in the hands of Spanish sculptors.

Titled “The Alchemy of Blacksmiths,” 63 sculptures by four Spanish artists of the 20th century, including Julio Gonzalez, Martin Chirino, Andreu Alfaro and Miquel Navarro, are on display at the Shenzhen Fine Art Institute (SFAI) through May 20.

This exhibition features a selection of the best works by these four sculptors, offering an overview of their respective personal aesthetics and throwing a spotlight on the points of connection between them.

All the works are a permanent collection of the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM), the first modern art museum created in Spain.

The IVAM has a collection of more than 10,500 works, which include 394 pieces such as sculptures, drawings, goldsmithing, paintings and reliefs by Gonzalez. The museum is widely considered the world’s best collection of works by the sculptor.

Gonzalez was born in 1876 and died in 1942. His art career can be traced back to modernismo, the Spanish expression of Art Nouveau in Barcelona, where he began his research in various fields.