Juan Antonio Guirado

A curated selection of works being exhibited for the first time.

Red 8 Gallery is honoured to partner with the Estate of Juan Antonio Guirado to showcase a re-discovered master of Spanish intrarealism.

Juan Antonio Guirado Espinosa was born in Los Villares (Jaen, Spain) in 1932 and his arts education began at the early age of 10 in Andalusia. He moved to Madrid at the age of 18 to study portraiture at the San Fernando Academy, later travelling to Italy and France studying Italian Renaissance and French Impressionism. In 1955 Guirado was commissioned to paint a series of murals in New York, and he had his first major exhibition in Miami in 1956. Guirado immigrated to Australia in the late 50s due to the social political climate, becoming interested in Oriental religions, in particular Hindu Philosophy Vedanta,which influenced his signature style. 

He returned to his homeland of Spain in 1973 and became one of the most represented Spanish contemporary artists in museums and international collections that included King Hussein of Jordan, J.D. Salinger, and John Schlesinger, and by globally renowned museums including the National Museum Reina Sofia and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta.

He also received multiple awards including the gold medal at the El Grollo awards at the Venice Biennale in 1976 and honoured at the Malta Art Biennial for his prolific body of work.