Carlos León

Born in 1948 in Ceuta, Spain. He lives and works in Segovia, Spain.

 

With a career that spans over five decades, Carlos León has been recognised with distinctions such as the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts. León’s work is characterised by its technical virtuosity and his early involvement with abstraction in Paris, New York and Spain.

 

In the 1970s, Carlos León was part of the pioneering ‘Support-surfaces’ collective in Paris, linking his work to abstract expressionism. He lived for years in New York, as a result of a grant from the Spanish-American Joint Committee, supported by Celement Greenberg and Helen Frankenthaler. In 2002, he decided to return to Spain, where he continues his artistic activity.

 

Recurrent themes in his practice are lyricism, the evocation of the landscape and the garden, the body as a place, carnality and tearing. A propensity for geometry has always been present, more or less explicitly, throughout his career, becoming progressively visible in the seventies and in much of his recent repertoire.

 

Carlos León has exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Venice Biennale, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; the Fundación Joan Miró, Barcelona; the Museo Patio Herreriano, Madrid; among others.

 

His work is part of collections such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona; Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid; Centre of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; C