Joan Miró i Ferrà (1893-1983) was a Spanish artist known for his abstract and surrealist works of art.

He is considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century and has been credited with ushering in a new era of modern art.
Known as Joan Miro, he was born on April 20, 1893 in Barcelona, Catalonia.
From an early age he honed his skill as an artist but his parents were against him pursuing art as a career. He attended a commercial college and went on to work for two years as a clerk in an office until he had a mental breakdown.
After convalescing at his parents estate he was allowed to attend art school in Barcelona.
He studied for three years at the School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona (also called La Lonja) where he learned anatomy, as well as color theory and perspective.

Miro’s career began in 1918 when he had his first solo exhibition. This opportunity came about with the support of gallery owner José Dalmau.

Throughout his life he continued to explore new techniques and styles, including collage and printmaking.
His paintings have been compared to those of other abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko although Miro achieved international fame for his own unique style.
His works are characterised by bright colours, organic forms and dynamic compositions that reflect his interest in the subconscious mind and dreams.

He was also a prolific printmaker, producing hundreds of prints during his lifetime.
His works are now seen as some of the most influential pieces in modern art history, inspiring generations of new artists.

A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona in 1975, and another, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, was established in his adoptive city of Palma in 1981.

I was lucky enough to visit London in 2011 when the Tate Modern held the first major retrospective of Joan Miro’s work for nearly 50 years.
He wasn’t an artist I had followed or been really interested in but I found the exhibition to be captivating with a great deal of new ideas to absorb and a new found love of his later works.