Joan Brossa

Joan Brossa (Barcelona, Spain, 1919-1998) was a poet, playwright, graphic designer and visual artist who worked hard throughout his life, leaving an important legacy for contemporary and future generations. His creativity extended to other fields of artistic expression, such as film, music, cabaret, magic and circus.

He was one of the founding members of the important group Dau al Set (1948), and he has been considered a pioneering example of visual poetry in Catalan literature. In Brossa’s art, expression takes precedence over content, which enriches and disturbs ironically through the creation of double meanings, often based on puns. His interdisciplinary view of culture both literary and visual, contain elements that make it unique: the use of a satirical, critical and intelligent humour.

Throughout his life he received well-known awards such as the National Award for the Visual Arts (1992), the National Theatre Award (1998) and the UNESCO Picasso Medal. Posthumously, he was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by ‘Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona’ (1999). Also, he was an honorary member of the Association of Writers in Catalonia.

His work forms part of museums and public collections such as MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain) or MNCARS Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain).

Joan Brossa

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