Moisès Villèlia i Sanmartín facts for kids

Moisès Sanmartín i Puig (born in Barcelona in 1928 – died September 26, 1994) was a Catalan artist. He was known by his artist name, Moisès Villèlia. He was both a sculptor, who made art from different materials, and a poet, who wrote poems.

Early Life and Art Career

In 1940, Moisès moved to Mataró. His father became the boss of a workshop there. This workshop made furniture and artistic wood pieces. Moisès later worked there too.

His first sculptures were made in 1947. These early works showed people and things in a realistic way. They had a special style, like art from the East. You could see how well he learned to carve wood. This skill was clear in all his art.

In 1954, he created his first abstract artworks. These were called "Personatges" (Characters). They did not look like real people or objects. He showed them in his first solo art show. This show was at the Municipal Museum of Mataró. After this, he focused only on making sculptures.

At an art show in Barcelona in 1957, his art changed a lot. He started using new materials. These included bamboo, reeds, wires, threads, and even buttons. His sculptures became unique. They no longer had a solid, heavy shape. Instead, they looked light and open.

Moisès also worked with architects. He made art for buildings using a material called fibrocement. For example, he worked on a school project in Mataró in 1959. He also created art for the Baró de Viver School in Santa Coloma de Gramenet in 1960. His first big art show was at the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art in 1960. This show helped people recognize his amazing work.

From 1964 to 1966, he focused on creating art for gardens. He used fibrous tubes that he carved and painted. He joined them together in different shapes. These art pieces were placed among plants in places like El Masnou and El Prat de Llobregat. In 1967, he went to Paris to study. There, he made many drawings for future sculptures.

His Creative Journey

In 1969, Moisès traveled to Argentina and Ecuador. He used reeds from Quito in his art. At the same time, he studied old art from before Columbus came to America. He lived in Quito and Buenos Aires from 1969 to 1972.

When he came back to Catalonia, he moved to Molló in 1972. After that, he had many solo art shows. These were in cities like Mataró (1975), Barcelona (several times), Manzanares el Real (1977), Cologne (1979), New York (1979), Sabadell (1982), and Granollers (1985).

He also made many artistic drawings and prints. He even designed games for children and furniture.

Moisès was part of a group called Club 49. Joan Prats started this club. Moisès worked closely with many famous artists and thinkers. These included Oriol Bohigas, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, and Joan Brossa. He was a very creative artist. He used new materials and had new ideas about what sculpture could be. You can see his art in a video by Tanit Sanmartin Roig. This video was made for an art show called Villèlia in 2017.

Key Moments in His Life

• 1954 – He had his first solo art show at the Municipal Museum of Mataró.
• 1956 – His art was shown at the IX Hall October in Barcelona.
• 1957 – At the X October Salon in Barcelona, he showed his first sculpture made from cane.
• 1960 – His art was featured in the first exhibition at the new Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.
• 1961 – He directed and designed the sets and costumes for a play by Joan Bros Bell.
• 1974 – The first book about his art was published.
• 1976 – He had an exhibition of "sculptures, drawings" at Scala Caspar.
• 1979 – Another sculpture exhibition took place at Sal Caspar in Barcelona.
• 1986 – He started adding ceramics to his sculptures made from bamboo.
• 1990 – A special show of his past works was held at the Contemporary Art Center of Girona.
• 1990 – He created a large sculpture called "Guardians of Water" in Barcelona. It was for a special event celebrating 1000 years of Catalonia.
• 1992 – He made a large sculpture for a public square called La Brisk in Yataro.
• 1994 – He passed away in Barcelona on September 26.
• 1999 – An exhibition of his art was held at the IVAM in València.
• 2005 – His art was shown at the Montana d'Or in Girona.
• 2014 – A special exhibition was held at Can Mario Museum in Palafrugell to remember his work.

See also

In Spanish: Moisès Villèlia para niños