PABLO PICASSO

STPI Gallery welcomes the summer with a specially curated exhibition, The Mystery of Picasso’s Creative Process: The Art of Printmaking”, presented by SingTel. Direct from the archives of Claude Picasso, this collection of close to 50 works on paper will also feature an oil painting, “Tête à la coiffe” (1947). Exhibited for the very first time in Asia, these works will expose audiences to a lesser-known side of Picasso – his explorations with the print medium as shown in the expressive quality of his lithographs, linocuts, and rare corresponding plates.

Highlights of this exhibition include the masterpiece series of lithographs, “Le Taureau/Bull” (1945). Challenging the artistic conventions of the day, Picasso progressively pared down a realistic image of a bull to its mere essence, expressing the dramatic power of simple lines through 11 prints. Another series, “Les deux femmes nues /Two female nudes” (1946), reveals the shifting interpretations of his muses as they become the focus of his art and a driving force behind his creativity.

Born in Spain, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is inarguably one of the most influential and celebrated artists in the world. Recognised largely as one of the pioneers of Cubism, Picasso experimented extensively with various techniques and ideas, contributing significantly to
developments in painting, sculpture and printmaking. His boldness to innovate demonstrates the transforming power of the human imagination, ultimately changing the way an artist views the world.

Picasso’s artistic accomplishments have brought him universal renown, making him one of the most sought-after blue chip artists even today. “Le Rève/The Dream” (1932) was recently sold privately for US$155 million to American hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, making it the most expensive Picasso work to date.

Strong auction records and museum retrospectives (Guggenheim Museum, Oct 2012-Jan 2013; Kunstmuseum Basel, Mar-Jul 2013) clearly indicate that Picasso and his endless drive for invention very much remain a source of inspiration for generations today and those to come.

“Picasso’s innovative spirit to break barriers resonates with SingTel’s philosophy to lead change in our industry and we are happy that our support has enabled such an excellent collection to be shared with wider audiences,” says SingTel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong. Adds STPI Director Emi Eu, “These revolutionary works are extremely rare and shown as an entire set, and this continues STPI’s ongoing commitment to bring world class art to Singapore.” Says Tatyana Franck, Curator of the archives of Claude Picasso, “This is the first time the works are shown in Asia, as we think there is a great potential in Singapore and we want to develop the knowledge of Picasso prints in Asia.”