Salvador Fernández Oliva

Born Place: Madrid Birthdate: 1960 Creative environment: Madrid Artist Web Formation:

Engineer from the Higher Technical School of Engineering (ICAI). Musician. Painter and self-taught sculptor.

Awards and Honours:

Manuel Viola Second Prize, San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid. Third Prize at Ibercaja Awards, Teruel (1992). Manuel Viola First Prize, San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid. Espinosa de los Monteros Second Prize, Burgos (1991). Centro Cultural Villa de Madrid Award. Parque de Berlín Award. Madrid (1990).

  • ABOUT THE ARTIST

I am of the belief that when we give something a name, we destroy its magic or mystery. We do not gain a more intimate insight into something by knowing its name. Sometimes the name of an object is more important that the object itself, which makes our interest in it dwindle. It may even make us forget the significance or beauty it may hold by itself. Perhaps we would spend more time observing a piece if we did not known its name. If we interpret it "as it is", we would discuss shapes, textures, feelings.


The sculptor should remain silent after completing a piece. However, I would like to note that many artists create a piece with the title. If it is the outcome of a need, it always works.


Before finishing, one small point: Virtually no works of art or artistic movements have been named by the artists themselves but instead by art critics, journalists and even the general public itself. Terms like Impressionism, Fauvism and Modernism are titles or tags that upon attempting to condense concepts that were more complex, dynamic and varied, manage to create an indiscernible barrier between the work and us. We should at least be aware of this.


Salvador Fernández - Oliva March 2000


When a self-taught artist has spent more than 25 years working with sculpture, understanding its techniques and possibilities, playing with sizes, formats and volumes and, above all else, enjoying what makes him tick, this term takes on far greater significance beyond the scope of any definition. Critically acclaimed in our country, and in Madrid primarily, Salvador Fernández Oliva makes art for enjoyment –and for others to enjoy–, to relax, according to the artist himself on more than one occasion. These small-scale pieces on display at Galería Capa to a certain extent illustrate the artist's creative evolution from more abstract shapes in 2000 to a more minimalist conceptualisation, more akin to cubism and constructivism in his steel pieces from 2006-2007, which were part of the self-titled exhibition organised at that time.  The study of movement and different levels is also due to his affinity for sequences in the creative process. They enable him to meticulously explore the possibilities of a subject before mastering it. However, the subject is not even important. In fact, his freedom of ideas and approach to art without academic conventionalisms or obstacles enables him to create a piece as it is, in which the name is only a name and what matters is simply what the sculpture conveys to each observer. 


SOLO EXHIBITIONS


2013. Casa de Vacas terrace. Madrid.


2011. Pons Foundation. Barcelona.


2010. Pons Foundation. Madrid.


2009. Royal Botanical Garden. Madrid.


2008. Salvador Fernandez Oliva, Su Trayectoria [His career]. Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.


2007. New Work. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2006. Color, Forma Y Música [Colour, Shape and Music]. Concert and Exhibition and Royal Botanical Garden. Madrid.


2005. Victoria Hidalgo Gallery.


1993 Museum of Contemporary Art. Madrid.


COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS


2008. AAF Affordable Art Fair London Spring Edition. Capa Esculturas. London. United Kingdom.


2007. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


AAF Affordable Art Fair London Spring Edition. CAPA Esculturas. London. United Kingdom.


2006. PARALELO [Parallel] Collective Exhibition. Capa Esculturas. Madrid


Index Dubai 2006. United Arab Emirates.


2005. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


Index Dubai 2005. United Arab Emirates.


2004. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2003. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2001. Capa Esculturas inauguration. Brussels, Belgium


2000. Inclusion in Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


1999. Galería Jovenart. Madrid.


1996. Galería Astarté. Madrid.


1995. Arte Joven en Paradores [Youth Art in Paradors]. Organised by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.


1993. Sala Julio González. Musuem of Contemporary Art. Madrid.


WORK IN PUBLIC SPACES AND COLLECTIONS


2013. Homenaje a Carudel [Tribute to Carudel]. La Zarzuela Hippodrome. Madrid.


2010. Lavanderas [Laundry women]. Móstoles.


2009. Bañista tumbada [Bather lying down]. Navalcarnero. Madrid. 


2008. Relieve para la Puerta del Sol [Embossment for Puerta del Sol] Navalcarnero. Madrid.


2008. Bañista de pie [Bather stood up]. Navalcarnero. Madrid.


2007. Valkiria. Centro de Artes Escénicas de Navalcarnero [Navalcarnero Performing Arts Centre]. Madrid.


1999. Relieve Homenaje Almendros [Embossment - Tribute to Almendros]. Almansa.


1997. Relieve para el Palacio de los Condes de Cirat [Embossment for the Palace of Condes de Cirat]. Almansa.


1995. El vecino curioso [The curious neighbour]. Calle Mayor. Madrid.


Individual collections in Spain, Portugal, Germany, USA, UK, France, Belgium and Mexico.


PUBLICATIONS


2005. La creatividad de la mirada [The creativity of the gaze]. Museo del Prado. Community of Madrid.


2007. La musicalidad del color [The musicality of colour] Colección Thyssen Community of Madrid.


2007. Summer Courses. Departamento de Promoción Educativa [Department for Promoting Education] of the Community of Madrid.


Works by Salvador Fernández Oliva.