20^th Century Spanish

Though born in Jaen, Ortiz spent most of his early adulthood in Granada, where he became close friends with members of the so-called Generation of 27, including Federico García Lorca (1898-1936). There, he took his first steps in the art world, in the studio of José Larrocha (1850-1933) and then later at the School of Arts and Crafts of Granada.

In 1922 he moved to Paris, where he entered into contact with the . He attended the Grande Chaumière academy and was introduced into the city’s art circles, where he became acquainted with some of the most influential artists of the time, including Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). His first exhibition in Paris was held at Galerie Quatre Chemins in 1926.

During the Second Republic he returned to Spain and was involved in the activities of La Barraca theatre group with his great friend Federico García Lorca. In 1933, he presented his work at the headquarters of Sociedad de Amigos del Arte. As a member of the Alliance of Antifascist Intellectuals for the Defence of Culture he was forced to leave the country and so he returned to Paris. He was sent to the Saint-Cyprien concentration camp, from where he managed to escape thanks to Picasso.

With the outbreak of World War II, he went into exile again, this time to Buenos Aires (Argentina). His style changed during this period, abandoning his personal brand of , which he combined with abstract and surrealist elements, in favour of a naturalist and realistic painting closer to his early days.

He returned to France in 1948, reconciled himself with and made his first ceramic works with Picasso. Although he was allowed to return to his home country in the 1950s, he continued living in Paris until his death.

In 1981 he received Spain’s National Visual Arts Prize.