“The Fundación María Cristina Masaveu presents a major retrospective exhibition dedicated to the Asturian artist Luis Fernández (Oviedo, 1900–Paris, 1973), organised in collaboration with the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias and curated by its director, Alfonso Palacio.

Luis Fernández is one of the leading figures of the avant-garde movement in Asturias and one of the most significant Spanish artists of the 20th century. His time in Paris, beginning in 1924, allowed him to meet the foremost figures of the international avant-garde, providing him with the opportunity to explore and deepen his understanding of some of the most important art movements of the era, such as Surrealism and Cubism. By the 1950s, Fernández entered his mature phase, characterised by a distinctive and highly personal style of figuration that was entirely independent of the dominant artistic movements of the time.

This exhibition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death, brings together 150 works from numerous collections around the world. It will be the first major retrospective devoted to one of the most unique artists of the first half of the 20th century.

After its presentation at the Foundation’s Madrid headquarters, the exhibition will travel to the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, where it will open to the public in February 2024.

The Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias extend their gratitude to all the lenders for their generous contributions to this project. Among them, special thanks go to the artist’s family and the Telefónica Foundation, which has loaned 19 works, as well as to a pioneering institution involved in the recovery of the artist’s legacy in Spain at the end of the last century”.

Exhibition dates FMCMP (Madrid): 6 October 2023 – 28 January 2024

Exhibition dates Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias (Oviedo): 24 February – 26 May 2024