The art of intranquility – Retrospective Juan Martínez-Navadeux

From 17 May to 11 July 2025

Juan Martinez, known as the “intranquil”, paints as if on a razor’s edge, in response to the tragedies and injustices caused by man.

Juan Martínez was born in Andalusia in 1942. After training in architecture in Barcelona, he moved to Switzerland, where he graduated from the École cantonale des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne in 1966. Since then, he has devoted himself entirely to painting in his studio in Senarclens (VD). His work can be found in numerous public and private collections, including the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, and the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne.

His painting, contemporary and free of trends, is rooted in the great classical tradition, drawing inspiration from Spanish masters such as Goya, Velázquez and Tapiès. Added to this are the influences of philosophers and poets such as Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Paul Celan, Ramuz and, of course, Pessoa, with whom he shares that “incurable intranquillity”.

Neither a militant nor a moralist, Juan Martinez paints like a poet and philosopher, attuned to the spirit of his times. He explores themes linked to the human condition, depicting individuals alone or in relation to their peers, questioning their place in society. He also expresses a deep sensitivity to social and political issues, influenced by his opposition to totalitarianism and his support for the oppressed. “I want to poetize the image.

I’m sensitive to the horrific images we’re shown, but I don’t think this approach raises people’s awareness.On the contrary, it puts them to sleep. To be effective, I take away the immediacy of the tragedy, I distance myself just a little to make it easier to understand. Simplifying the image distances it from the horror. It allows us to reflect on it.

Juan’s works leave no one indifferent. They captivate, impose their presence and challenge. “Whether my painting provokes dreams or nightmares, it doesn’t matter as long as the viewer gets moving! A resolutely committed style.