Xoán Fernández Martínez

Category: Painter
Birth Date: 9th february 1938
Birth Place: Ribeira (A Coruña)

   Cultura
 Curriculum

He is an autodidact painter. At the moment he is living and working in Palmeira (A Coruña) in his studio beside the Ría de Arousa.

After going through various expressionist and abstract stages, he went on to a hyperrealism painting full of delicate oneiric effects after being influenced by Flemish and Dutch painters of the 17th century while he was living in the Netherlands for nine years.

Xoan Fernández participated in many individual and collective exhibitions in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Madrid and Galicia. He illustrated books and magazines and usually collaborates with his drawings in La Voz de Galicia.

In his painting he uses classic methods with a current vision. His technique is so pure and meticulous that if often takes him some years to finish a single picture. That’s why he only paints about a dozen pictures a year. A monograph about his work was published in one of the last volumes of ‘Enciclopedia de Artistas Galegos’ (Nova Galicia Edicións).

 Work & Activities

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS:

1964: Nurso Gallery, Frankfurt (Germany).

1969: Galería Artes (A Coruña).

1970: Caja de Ahorros, Vigo (Pontevedra).

1977: Círculo Mercantil, Ribeira (A Coruña).

1978: 'Modus Vivendi', Santiago (A Coruña), Aula de Cultura (Santiago), Caja de Ahorros (Vigo) and Aula de Cultura (A Coruña).

1979: Caja de Ahorros (Pontevedra) and Aula de Cultura (A Coruña).

1981: Aula de Cultura (Santiago), Maritime Lyceum (Vilagarcía) and Aula de Cultura (A Coruña).

1982: Antigua Sala (Vigo), Sementeira Gallery, Noia (A Coruña) and 'O Patacón' (A Coruña).
1983: Abracadabra Gallery (Vigo) and 'Jardín Umbrío' (Pobra do Caramiñal).

1988: Casa de España in Antwerp (Belgium).

1990: Lar Galego in Rotterdam (Holland) and Valle-Inclán Museum (Pobra do Caramiñal).

 

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS:

1966: State Fine Art Office (Madrid).

1967: ‘I Muestra de Arte Gallego’, Ribeira (A Coruña).

1970: First Regional Art Biennial Exhibition (Pontevedra).

1972: Regional Art Biennial Exhibition (Pontevedra).

1978: 'Ascón', Sala Van Gogh (Vigo).

1979: ‘Cinco Pintores Galegos’, Sala de Arte (Vigo).

1980: ‘Xuntanza Cultural das Comunidades do Barbanza’ (Santiago), ‘II Mostra de Arte Galego’ (Ribeira) and ‘V Bienal de Pintura Meigas e Trasgos’ (Sarria).

1981: ‘Colectiva Obradoiro C.A.B.’, Aula de Cultura (Santiago), ‘Pintores do Barbanza’, Cultural Centre, Boiro (A Coruña), Exhibition homage to El Salvador (Santiago), ‘Plástica Galega’, Décimo Ciclo (Vigo) and ‘Homenaxe a Castelao’, Rianxo (A Coruña).

1982: ‘Día das Letras Galegas’, Boiro (A Coruña) and ‘Mostra de Pintura da II Universidade Popular’, Corcubión (A Coruña).

1983: 'A pintura galega hoxe', City Council of A Coruña (A Coruña).

1985: ‘Semana Cultural dos Hispanofalantes’, Amsterdam (Holland).

1990: ‘Cultuur uit Oost en West’, Antwerp (Belgium).

 

GRAFIC WORK:

1979: Cover of an especial issue dedicated to Barbanza, 'La Voz de Galicia'.

1980: 'Aventura, ventura y desventura de los caballos de A Barbanza' and 'Os Canteiros Galegos', Carlos García Bayón, 'La Voz de Galicia'.

1981: 'Canciones y refranes de los vinos gallegos', Xavier Costa Clavell, 'La Voz de Galicia'.

1982: 'Centenario La Voz 1882-1982', La Voz de Galicia; 'No centenario do nacemento de James Joyce' Vicente Risco, 'Revista Dorna' Santiago and poster of the local fiesta in Ribeira.

1983: Poem by Marcelo Gómez de Castro, 'Revista Dorna' (Santiago); 'Valle-Inclán resucita en Puebla del Caramiñal' Carlos García Bayón, 'La Voz de Galicia' and 'Por las lagunas de la Barbanza' Carlos García Bayón, 'Revista La Coruña'.

 Other Interesting Aspects

Some of his works can be found at the University of Santiago, Casa de España in Utrecht, Casa de España in Antwerp, Valle-Inclán Museum in A Pobra do Caramiñal,... and in private collections in Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid, Santiago, Vigo, San Sebastián, A Pobra do Caramiñal, Ribeira...