A life dedicated to sculpture
Francisco Badía, born in Foios in 1906, is recognized as one of the great sculptors of abstract bronze sculpture. His work lives on in the collective memory, being exhibited in various places to this day.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Carles, where he had contact with prominent artists such as Josep Renau, Rafael Pérez Contel and the brothers Arturo and Vicente Ballester Marco. In addition, he was active in avant-garde movements and was a politically engaged artist during the Republic and the Civil War.
After the exile in Paris, his work was oriented towards an expressionism linked to surrealist aesthetic budgets. Later, he delved into an expressionist and surrealist language, creating works that reflected the existential drama of modern man.
A relevant work
Badía is considered the most important Spanish sculptor in small bronze, in addition to working in other materials such as plaster, terracotta or wood. His work is one of the most relevant in the country and stands out for his contribution to sculptural abstraction.
His more abstract works, such as ‘Figure’, offer a transversal view of his artistic evolution, showing an anthropological concern and a sense of unreality typical of a deteriorated and artificial world.
Recognition and legacy
Despite not having had many exhibitions, his work is presented as one of the most important within the Valencian sculpture of the Second Spanish Republic. Today, a large part of his work can be seen at the Museu del Campus Escultòric (MUCAES-UPV), where impressive works are displayed that place him as a true genius of sculpture.
Francisco Badía is remembered as an incredible creator of metal figures, leaving an artistic legacy that will live on in the collective memory forever.