Jorge Rando facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jorge Rando
Jorge Rando in his workshop
Born	(1941-06-23) 23 June 1941 (age 84) Málaga, Barrio de la Victoria
Nationality	Spanish
Known for	Painting, sculpting and drawing

Jorge Rando is a famous Spanish painter and sculptor, born on June 23, 1941, in Málaga. He is known as one of the most important artists in the Neo-expressionist art movement.

A big study by the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg named Rando as one of the best Neo-expressionist artists in the world. This study picked Rando and Miguel Barceló as the only two Spanish artists representing this art style. To honor his amazing career, the first Expressionist museum in Spain, which opened in Málaga in 2014, is named Museum Jorge Rando. Today, Jorge Rando lives and works in both Málaga, Spain, and Hamburg, Germany.

In Germany, which is like a second home to him, his art is also highly respected. The famous Ernst Barlach Museum in Ratzeburg has a special room just for Rando's artworks. This makes him the first living Spanish painter to receive such an honor.

About Jorge Rando

Jorge Rando was born in Málaga, Spain, in 1941. In the 1960s, he moved to Germany to study philosophy. There, he met his wife, Margit. He settled in Cologne and helped the city recover and grow after the Second World War.

German culture and ideas have been very important for Rando's life and art. Since then, he has created art in both Spain and Germany. He has helped spread the Expressionist art movement in both countries. Some people see his art as a bridge between the deep ideas of German philosophy and the strong feelings of Spanish art. His philosophical thoughts and energetic painting come together in a powerful way, using bold and colorful brushstrokes.

In his book, "Rando's Contemporary Art Testament," he talks about bringing back a sense of spirit to art. He wants to promote expressionism as a way to share deep human feelings that connect everyone. Rando's paintings and sculptures are very spiritual and focus on humanity. They offer a message of hope and show that love is a powerful force in the world. Rando uses Neo-expressionism to bring understanding and kindness into a world that can sometimes seem uncaring. This art style lets him share his feelings through his work. His message can reach many people, no matter their background or beliefs.

What is Neo-expressionism?

Neo-expressionism is an art movement that uses strong colors and simple shapes. It often leaves out small details to show feelings. Artists in this style want to express emotions through their art, rather than focusing on perfect beauty.

Even though Expressionist artists paint things you can recognize, they do it in a rough and very emotional way. They often use bright colors. An Expressionist artist's main goal is not to paint exactly what they see, but what they feel inside. Many art experts believe Rando is a great example of Neo-expressionism. His paintings often have shapes that are stretched or changed, and he uses colors in a very sensitive way. You can also see the strong marks of his brushstrokes.

Art historian Enrique Castaños, a professor at the University of Málaga, Spain, said: "Rando is known for his powerful brushstroke and his expressive use of colors. These transmit strong emotions to the viewer, showing a clear example of the Neo-expressionist movement."

Art Cycles: Common Themes

Rando's artwork is organized into groups called "cycles." These cycles are based on common themes or ideas that he paints and sculpts. He returns to these themes over the years. Like some Expressionist artists from the early 1900s, Rando often features people who are struggling, as well as nature and animals. However, some themes are always present in his paintings, like suffering or finding hope through love.

His cycles include paintings and sculptures about:

• Afrika: These are images, both clear and abstract, about war and hunger in Africa.
• Passion: A collection of religious paintings about the crucifixion of Christ.
• Maternities: Paintings and sculptures of mothers with their children.
• Distorted Figures: Images of changed or stretched female figures.
• Pintarradas-Sketchings: Paintings with flowers and animals.
• Käthe Kollwitz: A tribute to a great Expressionist painter whose art and life showed love and sacrifice.
• Children: Pictures of children walking or playing, where Rando tries to capture their natural body movements.
• Cycling: Abstract images of cyclists standing or moving.
• Landscapes and Vertical Horizons: Paintings that use strong colors, shapes, and brushstrokes to help viewers feel connected to nature and spirituality.
• Portraits and Figures: Paintings of people and other subjects.
• Card Players: Pictures of people playing cards.

The common themes in Rando's paintings show his strong focus on humanity. They reveal his deep care for others' suffering, his spirituality, and his great love for all living things. These artworks aim to make people more aware of human and social issues and encourage them to act. Many art critics and historians have written about Rando's cycles. For example, Jiménez wrote that Rando's art "shook our minds with these socially concerned paintings, making the viewer look inside themselves and think about their own feelings."

Carmen Pallarés wrote about the cycles: "Afrika is an exhibition that shows the strength and purity of Jorge Rando's Neo-Expressionism. Its creation is deeply connected to the artist's ideas about philosophy and humanity." She added that Rando's work moves from the clear human feeling in Afrika to the very sensitive look in Distorted Figures, which is shaped by his strong brushstrokes. In Landscapes in Space and Vertical Horizons, the viewer sees "colors born from the earth like roots." Through his deep ideas and constant study of color, the artist takes us from his human side to pure nature.

In the 23rd Volume of the Málaga Art History Encyclopedia, art historian Enrique Castaños said that Rando's artwork is clearly different from other artists of his time. This is because he uses themed series known as "cycles." Castaños wrote that through his painting series (like Distorted Figures, Afrika, The Passion, Käthe Kollwitz, Maternities), it is clear that Rando's main goal is to show the inside of the human soul. He does this using color, organic shapes, changed forms, and the free marks of his brush.

Ricardo Barnatán wrote in Pintarradas: "Rando's figurative landscapes, those quick and wild sketches, speak of what happens inside us, not what we see outside. The brushstrokes and colors show the artist's inner world. If the figures look familiar, it's because they act like words in a secret message that needs to be understood. A message written with passion, meaning that wonderful movement of the soul and purified suffering."

Awards and Honors

Jorge Rando has received many awards throughout his successful career.

• 2018: An exhibition called "Qi Baishi - Jorge Rando: An Encounter" took place, showing a cultural talk between East and West. The exhibition "Naturalezas" also happened this year.
• 2017: Rando was invited to a major event in Germany, "Reformations Jubiläums," celebrating 500 years of the Reform movement. The exhibition, "Ernst Barlach-Jorge Rando, Mystics of Modernity: Expressionism Yesterday and Today," opened on July 16 in Emden, which was named the European Capital of the Reform. This exhibition later traveled to Berlin.
• 2016: He received the Ernst Barlach award for his life's work and his efforts to spread new expressionism around the world. Jorge Rando is the first Spanish painter to get this award, which is only given to artists who have made big contributions to art globally. That same year, "ART Magazine," a popular art magazine in Europe, recommended Rando's exhibition "Passion Neuer Expressionismus" as one of the top 15 exhibitions in Europe not to miss.
• 2015: The City of Málaga gave Jorge Rando the "Estrella Feniké" prize for the Arts. He also received the "Museum of the Years 2015" award from the Friends of Málaga writers' association.
• 2014: The Jorge Rando Museum opened, where his artworks are kept and studied. The museum is also the home of the foundation that studies Expressionism. It is located in the Monastery of "Las Madres Mercedarias" in Málaga's Molinillo neighborhood.
• 2011: Rando won the Perséfone Media Club Award for the Arts as the best Painter of the year. He also designed the statue given to winners of the Spanish Cinema Festival that year.
• 2010: Rando designed the sculpture for the winners of the SIGNIS Film Circuit.
• 2008: The Writers Association of Málaga gave him the "Best Artist" award.
• 2007: Rando received the Plastic Arts Award in Madrid. The Álvaro Mutis Foundation gave him a prize for "the best art book of the year." UNESCO in Paris awarded the book about Jorge Rando's artwork, "More Light" by Carmen Pallares, the "Golden Book of the Plastic Arts" prize. The Spain's National Library in Madrid bought some of his drawings for its permanent collection.
• 2006: Rando received an award from the Antiquaria Foundation for his contributions to Spanish Expressionism. He also won the Contemporary Art prize from "Te Tertulia Ilustrada" in Madrid.

Recent Exhibitions

• 2018: "Encounter Qi Baishi-Jorge Rando" exhibition in Málaga. "Naturalezas" exhibition in Málaga.
• 2017: "The Birth of Colour" exhibition in Málaga. "Ernst Barlach - Jorge Rando - Mystiker der Moderne" exhibition in Emden. On May 22, Rando's newest cycle, "The Birth of Colour," was shown at the Museum Jorge Rando in Málaga.
• 2016: "Passion Neuer Expressionismus" exhibition in Hamburg. "Encounter Ernst Barlach - Jorge Rando" exhibition in Ratzeburg. "Cycle, animals and other things" exhibition in Málaga. "Encounter Jorge Rando - Carlos Ciriza" exhibition in Málaga.
• 2015: "Vertical Horizons" and "Landscapes in the Space" exhibitions in Málaga. "The Light of Flower" exhibition in Málaga. He also worked with twenty-five artists from the University of the Arts of Berlin (UdK) in Málaga.
• 2014: The Grand Opening of the Museum Jorge Rando with 120 artworks from his cycles: Maternidad, Pintarradas, Distorted Figures, and Afrika in Málaga.
• 2013: San Ramón Nonato, Open-air Museum in Málaga. Installation of the sculptural group of the Holy Week in Cervantes Theatre, Málaga.
• 2012: Víctor I Fills Gallery in Madrid. Polígono Gallery in Marbella. Exhibition at the Schloss Merode, Germany. He also finished the "Jardín de la Conciencia" (Conscience Gardens) in Málaga.
• 2011: Víctor I Fills Gallery in Madrid. Traveling exhibition to Iserlohn, Witten, Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Berlin.
• 2010: Gabarrón Museum Foundation "The Aesthetic Gaze in Paintings" in New York. Principal's Hall at the University of Málaga, Málaga. Magnus P. Gerdsen Gallery, Hamburg. Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid.
• 2009: Víctor I Fills Gallery, Madrid. Calviá Museum, Majorca. Opening of the Nazarian Gardens at the Málaga Cathedral, Málaga. Exhibition at the "Sala Noble", Málaga.
• 2008: Málaga Museo del Patrimonio Municipal, Málaga. Episcopal Palace, Málaga. Drawings for the Málaga's Cathedral Glass Work, Málaga.
• 2007: Antiquaria Foundation, Madrid. Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid. Fauna Gallery, Madrid. Unicaja Foundation, Málaga.
• 2006: Contemporary Art Fair (Miami). Contemporary Art Fair Madrid. Annta Gallery, Madrid. Rando's Art Exhibition in Buenos Aires.
• 2005: Art Fair (New York). Fauna Gallery Madrid. Contemporary Art Saloon Strasbourg. Cajasur Foundation, Cordova.
• 2004: Ignacio de Lassaleta Gallery, Barcelona. Carlos de Amberes Foundation, Madrid. Contemporary Art Festival (Paris). Contemporary Art Fair, Cologne. Exhibition in Lisbon. 90,000 drawings on the Holy Week from the artist were downloaded from the web in two days.

See also

In Spanish: Jorge Rando para niños