María Paz Jiménez: unraveling the mystery

The Sala Kubo of the Kursaal in San Sebastián has been hosting the exhibition María Paz Jiménez. Unveiling the Mystery since February, a retrospective dedicated to one of the most unique and innovative artists of the 20th century in Spain. The exhibition brings together more than a hundred works by Jiménez (Valladolid, 1909 – Donostia, 1975), considered a pioneer of abstraction in the context of Basque art and a fundamental figure for understanding the pictorial avant-gardes over several decades.

Curated by Haizea Barcenilla and Ane Lekuona , the exhibition seeks to recover the legacy of an artist who, despite her contribution to pictorial modernity, has not occupied the place she deserves in the history of Spanish art. Jiménez was a multifaceted creator, with a career that went from surrealism to informalism, without forgetting figuration with social and feminist connotations.

Sense títol, María Paz Jiménez (1949–1952). Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao

The exhibition, which will be open to the public until May 18, includes works spanning the 1940s to the 1970s, including paintings, drawings and personal documents, such as handwritten letters, photographs and exhibition programmes. It explores his artistic evolution, from his informalist stage, in which he experimented with materials such as sand, stone dust and plastics to create works of great texture and intensity, to his transition to spatialism after a creative crisis in the 1960s. During this period, he abandoned informalism and returned to oil, developing monochrome compositions with smooth surfaces and forms in folds, knots and openings that suggest new spaces and dimensions, reflecting his constant search for mystery and transcendence.

Also noteworthy is the inclusion of costume designs created by Jiménez for his sister, the renowned flamenco dancer Rosario Escudero , which demonstrates his multidisciplinary approach and his connection to gypsy culture. The works on display come from various public and private collections, including institutions such as Kutxa Fundazioa , San Telmo Museoa , the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa , the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum and Artium Museoa .

Silla con caracola, María Paz Jiménez (1954–1956). San Telmo Museoa

Despite being a key figure in the cultural scene of Guipúzcoa and a pioneer of abstraction, her name has not achieved the presence it deserves in the collective memory of Basque art. One of the determining factors in this oblivion is linked to the year of her death, 1975. At that time, the historical narrative of Basque art was beginning to be established in a context of democratic effervescence, but the criteria that guided its construction did not allow for Jiménez's feminine figuration or the introspection present in her last abstract stage.

In short, Unveiling the Mystery is an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the work of an artist who, despite adversity, left a significant mark on Basque and Spanish art of the 20th century.

Masa espacial, María Paz Jiménez (1961). MNCARS