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Àlvar Suñol Munoz-Ramos, commonly known in the artworld as Àlvar, was born on January 29, 1935 in Montgat, Spain. With a career spanning over six decades, today Alvar is internationally recognized for his unique ability to convey the complexities of existence and the psychological processes of art making and creation. At the age of 18 he was awarded the Young Painter's Prize from the city of Barcelona, whereby the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona acquired his painting for their permanent collection. In 1960, Àlvar became part of the artist stable at the influential Galerie Drouant in Paris. His work drew accolades from the eminent critic, Jacques Lassaigne, who invited him to take part in the Salon School of Paris in 1960, a group of the top young artists in Spain. In Paris in the 1960s, he exhibited with other prestigious Spanish artists, including Joan Miró, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. In 1962, his work was introduced to American collectors and art aficionados with his first United States exhibition at the Monede Gallery in New York.
Àlvar is known for his technical expertise. He is passionate about his concept of el oficio, the commitment to his vocation and appreciation for the traditional artistic values bequeathed by the masters. He admires Renaissance artists, particularly Piero della Francesca, Vermeer and Balthus. Àlvar views his work as an inheritance from and devotion to Catalonia, specifically Romanesque art, yet imbued with a modern sensibility. Through the Southwest Gallery exhibition, visitors will witness themes, which remain steadfast in their revelations about the human condition and complexities, about love and peace. Time is a prominent and recurring theme, referencing history and art history.
The works on view with the Museum of Biblical Art take a more religious tone. In 2017, the museum’s Executive Director, Scott Peck, penned the forward text for the monograph Àlvar, The Religious Paintings of Àlvar Suñol. Excerpts below:
“Divine Inspirations: The Spiritual Paintings of Àlvar Suñol -- Spiritual means relating to the soul or the nonphysical. The paintings of Àlvar Suñol are transcendent and divine creations. Even though oil paintings are made from linen canvas, oil paints and pigments, wooden stretchers and varnish, his paintings are literally windows or doorways into the spiritual world… This is why Àlvar is so significant for our generation and the generations to follow. Àlvar opens our eyes to a hidden and concealed spiritual realm.”
Major retrospectives of Àlvar’s work have been mounted in recent years: In 2014, Àlvar Suñol: Una antològica des del 1954-2014 at the Casa de Cultura de la Diputació de Girona in Girona, Spain; in 2015, Passat i Present 1954-2015, at the Castell de Benedormiens, Castell d’Aro, Spain; in 2015, Interiors at the Museu de la Mediterrània, Girona, Spain; and in 2016, Una Vida Pintant 1954-2016 at the Castell de Calonge in Girona, Spain.
Over 40 museums (exhibitions and permanent collections) and over 95 galleries throughout the United States, Europe and Asia have presented Àlvar’s artwok. He continues to reside in and create from his studio north of Barcelona.
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