Isabel Bacardit facts for kids

Maria Isabel Preñanosa Bacardit, born in Barcelona, Spain in 1960, is a Spanish painter. She is known for her unique art style that changed over time, inspired by her life experiences and travels.

Isabel's Early Life and Art

Isabel Bacardit was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1960. She started learning art at the School of Arts of Poblenou. Her teacher there was Miquel Simó. Later, she continued her studies at the Escola d’Arts Aplicades i Oficis Artistics (Llotja) in Barcelona.

When she first started, Isabel was an abstract painter. This means her art didn't show real-life things exactly as they look. She often painted on materials she found, like cardboard and wood. She was inspired by city scenes. To make her paintings thick and textured, she mixed pigments (colors) with sawdust and paper-paste. Her early artworks mainly used primary colours like red, blue, and yellow.

Growing as an Artist

Isabel's talent was noticed early. In 1984, she was chosen for the Fifth Biennale of Barcelona, a big art show for young painters. In 1985, she took part in the First Exhibition of Young Art in Madrid. She also joined the First Biennale of Young Cultural Productions of the European Mediterranean. In 1986, she was again selected for the Second Exhibition of Young Art in Madrid.

A big change happened in Isabel's art after 1984. She began to find inspiration in the unexpected changes that happen in life. She created a series of works based on The Disasters of War by Goya. She also painted from newspaper photos of accidents. Her colors changed too, moving to darker, earthy tones.

In 1986, Barcelona was transforming for the 1992 Summer Olympics. Isabel's paintings reflected this change. She used machines and diggers as her main subjects.

Travels and New Inspirations

In 1987, Isabel illustrated a poem called Helicón by Bruno Montané Krebs. She then traveled to Berlin and lived there for a year. In Berlin, her art focused on the signs of war still visible on buildings in the divided city. She had an exhibition called "This is my Silence" at the Vendemmia gallery.

In 1988, she moved to Mallorca. There, she learned about the theatre works of Polish author Tadeusz Kantor. This inspired her to create a collection of paintings called "The right to live in peace."

In 1989, Isabel moved to Santa Coloma de Farnés (Spain). Living surrounded by nature, her art changed again. She found inspiration in landscapes, light, and silence. She moved away from her earlier dense, dark works. Instead, she started using watercolours, creating lighter and more transparent art.

In 1990, she lived in Rio de Janeiro. She worked with groups helping street children and taught painting classes. She also set up her art studio in the Maria Teresa Vieira gallery.

Art in Chile

In 1991, Isabel arrived in Chile. She exhibited her work at the Buchi gallery in Santiago de Chile. She lived in Valparaiso. She worked with many other artists, including painters, an actress, a stained glass artist, and theatre directors. Together, they started a theatre company called "Theatre only for Fools."

She began a series of artworks called "Earth, Air, Water and Fire." The cultural center Las Condes in Santiago de Chile asked her to create a large sculpture. She built "Bird Woman" out of papier-mache and acrylics. This sculpture was dedicated to the flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya. For another group, "Theatre of Silence," she created life-sized puppets for their play "Taca taca mon amour."

Return to Spain and Further Travels

In 1994, Isabel returned to Barcelona. She stopped abstract painting and went back to figurative art. This means her art started to show real-life objects and people again. During this time, some notable works included:

• An art installation called "Since ever, until when, since ever" for an event in Granada.
• An exhibition at the Can Felipa civic center with a group called "Art by Women." Their works explored themes of female reproduction and birth.
• An installation called "Shoe-house Zapata."
• Poetic and musical performances with other artists, based on a poem called Altazor.

In 1996, she traveled to Mexico. She met Ofelia Medina and connected with the Zapatista communities in Chiapas. There, she was greatly influenced by local symbols and spiritual ideas.

In 1997, she returned to Barcelona. She worked with other artists to start a magazine called Adiosas. She also exhibited her work with these artists at the Espai22a gallery.

In 1998, she worked with a Dutch traveling theatre company called "Azart Ship of Fools." She traveled and performed on their boat. She also created masks and costumes for their play, "The Pilgrim at the End of the World."

In 1999, she settled in Vilarnadal (Girona, Spain). She lived for six years in an old mill, where she painted and gardened.

In 2002, she had an exhibition with her sister, Judit Bacardit, who is a sculptor. Their work was shown at the Parc dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà information center. They also exhibited at the Caixa Girona in Roses. In 2003, they exhibited there again. Isabel also took part in a meeting of women artists in Switzerland.

In 2004, she designed the stage and decorations for a TV show called "The Ship of Fools" in Amsterdam.

Since 2005, Isabel Bacardit has been living in Barcelona.

See also

In Spanish: Isabel Bacardit para niños