Manolo Valdés (b. 1942) is one of Spain’s most internationally recognized contemporary artists. Born in Valencia and trained at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Carlos, he rose to prominence as a co-founder of the influential collective Equipo Crónica, whose Pop Art–inflected works offered incisive critiques of Spanish history and politics. Following the group’s dissolution in 1981, Valdés developed a highly personal practice that has defined his international career.
Working across painting, sculpture, drawing, and printmaking, Valdés is known for his reinterpretation of canonical art historical images, particularly those of Velázquez, Goya, and Zurbarán. By isolating and reconfiguring iconic motifs, he transforms classical references through contemporary materials and scale, producing works that bridge tradition and modernity. His monumental sculptures, especially his recurring interpretations of Velázquez’s Infanta, have become emblematic of his practice.
Valdés has exhibited widely in major museums and public spaces worldwide, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Museo Reina Sofía, and represented Spain at the Venice Biennale in 1999. His work is held in leading international collections such as MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Centre Pompidou, and Museo Reina Sofía. He lives and works between New York and Madrid.
