Josefina Plá facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josefina Plá
Statue of Josefina Plá on Isla de Lobos, Canarias, Spain
Born	Josefina Plá (1903-11-09)9 November 1903 Isla de Lobos, Canarias, Spain
Died	11 January 1999(1999-01-11) (aged 95) Asuncion, Paraguay
Movement	Impresionist
Spouse(s)	Julián de la Herrería

Josefina Plá (born María Josefina Teodora Plá Guerra Galvany) was an amazing artist. She was born on November 9, 1903, on Lobos Island in the Canary Islands, Spain. She passed away on January 11, 1999, in Asunción, Paraguay.

Josefina was a poet, a writer for plays, a journalist, and an art critic. She was also a sculptor, a ceramic artist, and a historian. Many people say she was "the most important woman in Paraguayan culture in the 20th century." She won many awards for her art, writing, and for fighting for human rights and equality.

Early Life and Family

Josefina Plá was born on November 9, 1903. Her father was a lighthouse keeper on Isla Lobos, a small island. She was the first of seven children.

She started writing very early, at just four years old. By age seven, she was writing poems. When she was ten, she wrote short stories, and by twelve, she was writing plays! In 1923, she secretly published her first poem in a journal. Her father liked it, not knowing it was hers.

In 1924, Josefina met a Paraguayan sculptor named Andres Campos Cervera. He was known as Julián de la Herrería. They met while she was on vacation in Spain. He was studying ceramics and was about to return to Paraguay. Even though they were far apart, they decided to get married. They wed on December 17, 1926. In 1927, Josefina moved to Paraguay with her husband.

Josefina and her husband visited Spain twice. The first time was in 1931 to show their ceramic art in Madrid. They went again in 1934. Sadly, Julián de la Herrería died in Spain in 1937. Josefina returned to Paraguay a year later. She lived there until she passed away in 1999.

Artistic Achievements

Josefina Plá's sculptures and ceramic art tell the story of Paraguay's culture. Her art has been shown in many places across South America. You can still see some of her murals and mosaics on buildings in Asunción. Some of her pottery is displayed in the Centro Cultural de España Juan de Salazar in Asunción.

In the 1950s, she helped start a group called the New Art Group (Grupo Arte Nuevo). Other artists like Olga Blinder were part of it. In 1952, Josefina wrote an article for an art show by Olga Blinder. This article is seen as a very important statement for modern art in Paraguay. It helped lead to the creation of the New Art Group.

Literary Contributions

Josefina Plá was a leading poet in the vanguardista style. This was a new and experimental way of writing poetry. Her husband's nephew, Hérib Campos Cervera, was also a part of this movement.

"Living the other one that I am that wasn't what would have been.

Living what would have been dying which I am still not.
Sleeping all was I, another waking I go."

Nos habremos deseado tanto / que el beso habrá muerto. Desnudo día, 1936

We will have wanted each other so bad / that the kiss will have died. Naked day, 1936

Josefina wrote over forty books of poetry, stories, and plays. She also wrote about the history of Paraguay's culture and society. Her writings on ceramics, painting, and art criticism are very important. She is considered a key figure in Paraguayan culture from the last century. She often worked with Roque Centurión Miranda on many of her plays, especially after 1942.

Major Written Works

Here are some of her important works:

Her plays include "Víctima propiciatoria," "Episodios chaqueños," and "Porasy." She also wrote plays for children like "El rey que rabió" and "El hombre de oro."

Josefina also wrote many books about Paraguayan history and culture. Some titles are "La cultura paraguaya y el libro" (Paraguayan Culture and the Book) and "Literatura paraguaya del siglo XX" (Paraguayan Literature of the 20th Century). She also wrote about art, like "Arte actual en el Paraguay" (Current Art in Paraguay), and social topics, like "Hermano Negro. La Esclavitud en el Paraguay" (Black Brother. Slavery in Paraguay).

Awards and Honors

Josefina Plá received many awards and honors throughout her life. These show how important her work was.

Some of her awards include:

• The Lady of Honour of the Order of Isabel la Católica (1977) from Spain.
• Being a member of the International Ceramic Academy in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The "Ollantay" trophy for theater research from Venezuela (1984).
• Being named "Woman of the Year" in 1977.
• The Bicentenary Medal of the United States of America (1976).
• The National Order of Merit from the Paraguayan Government (1994).
• Recognition for defending Human Rights from the International Society of Jurists.
• The Beautiful Arts Gold Medal of Spain (1995).
• The Johann Gottfried von Herder Medal.
• Being a member of the Paraguayan Linguistic Academy.
• She was considered for the "Prince of Asturias" award in 1981.
• She was also nominated for the "Cervantes award," a top honor for Spanish writers, in 1989 and 1994.
• In 1998, the Paraguayan Parliament gave her "Honorary Citizenship."

See also

In Spanish: Josefina Pla para niños