Carmen Calvo

Carmen Calvo was born in Valencia, in 1950. She studied at the School of Arts and Crafts, and subsequently at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts. She lived in Madrid for a time, and then in Paris, before finally settling in her hometown. Despite her outstanding classical training, she developed an avant-garde style of art, which would earn her international recognition from 1997 onwards.

Inspired by popular culture, she condemns violence in society through her artwork, and raises issues around globalisation. Her enigmatic portraits emit a sense of sadness, associated with everything which is doomed to fade away... She repeatedly uses clay in her artwork, making her pieces instantly recognisable.

Her conceptual art was chosen to represent Spain at the Venice Biennale in 1997. It was also exhibited at the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia National Museum in 2003, and later won the National Visual Arts Award in 2013.