Martín Chirino

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1925 – Madrid, 2019

Martín Chirino moves to Madrid in 1948 to study at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, while simultaneously continuing with his scultoric investigations in foundries dedicated to wrought iron. As of 1952 he begins to travel to Paris, Italy and London. Upon his return to the Canary Islands he begins to experiment with abstraction and creates the “Reinas Negras” series, which has both African and surrealist influences. Shortly thereafter he settles in Madrid and in 1958 he joins the group “El Paso”. As of 1959 he introduces the spiral as the main motif in his work, executed with strips of steel based on helicoidal rhythms. In 1967 he travels to the United States and in 1972 he instals a studio there, alterning his residence between the U.S. and Spain. Between 1983 and 1990 he acts as Director of the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

He exhibits regularly in Europe, America and Asia, and his work achieves world recognition.

His work is included in many of the most important museums and collections in the world.