Manuel Martinez
——Spanish Artist——

Manuel Martinez was born in 1956 in a small Andalusian village in the south of Spain. In the 1960’s he went to France and as an eighteen year old, for the first time, he presented his works of art at an exhibition in Pamiers, where he was awarded the Prize of the town for his work.

He studied fine arts at the École des Beaux Arts in Toulouse. In the port of Collioure, where he was gaining money as a street portraits draftsman, he was noticed by local artists. For a certain time, he was professionally and personally growing up among them and he got to develop not only his practical painting skills, but he also deepened his knowledge of history of art. For several years he worked as an illustrator and graphic designer. Since 1999 he has worked together with the French Contemporary Art Gallery Biarritz. Since 2000, he has been exhibiting worldwide, his works are getting into the collections of many domestic and foreign art collectors, who recognized the uniqueness and quality of his paintings. He lives and works in the “village of artists” Carla-Bayle.

In Martinez´s work you can feel the captivation by the great artists. He was inspired by Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky. The author refers to them in an original way and develops their bequest in a contemporary painter´s expression and in his peculiar, unique style. His palette is based on elementary colours and his expression is close to cubism and surrealism. Many of the themes of his artworks are symbolic. In his works, in addition to nude and portrait, we can find mythological motives or the traditional attribute of Spain, the bull.

Martinez´s paintings emanate life and energy of his native country, but also the elegance and charm of France. These attributes Martinez combines in a unique style that he has created and so he attracts the attention of laymen and professionals worldwide. A particularly good response to the artist’s work can be found in Germany, France, Switzerland, and he is well appreciated in surrounding countries where he has enchanted the collectors of modern art that his paintings are not sold in galleries or auction houses because they are sold directly in his studio.