From this Friday until the end of December, the exhibition "José Suárez. Life and work" can be viewed at Paseo da Igualdade on the Ourense campus. This open-air display is dedicated to "one of the great references of Galician photography" and is curated by photographer Xurxo Lobato.
The exhibition invites visitors to explore the "personal and artistic journey of one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Galician photography". It is part of a series of activities promoted by the Real Academia Gallega de Bellas Artes (Royal Galician Academy of Fine Arts) in celebration of the 2026 Day of Galician Arts, which this year is dedicated to José Suárez (Allariz, 1902-1974). The initiative is supported by the Vice-Rectorate of the Ourense Campus and the Provincial Council.
At the opening event, attendees included Raquel Rial, Area Director of the Ourense Campus; curator Xurxo Lobato; and Jorge Varela and María Victoria Carballo Calero, who are both affiliated with the University of Vigo and the Royal Galician Academy of Fine Arts. Members of the university community and family members of the honouree also attended.
Xurxo Lobato guided the audience through the exhibition, sharing insights into José Suárez's life and professional journey, his connections with the avant-garde and intellectual circles of his time, and highlighting some of the most representative pieces of his work, which he described as “modern and relevant”.
A vital and artistic journey
Designed to be educational and accessible, the exhibition features 16 canvases installed outdoors, offering a glimpse into the artist's biography and showcasing some of his most notable photographs. According to the organisers, the images are accompanied by texts from prominent figures in culture, literature, and photography, including Luís Seoane, Eduardo Blanco Amor, Manuel Sendón, Xosé Luís Suárez Canal, Domingo García-Sabell, Miguel de Unamuno, José Bergamín, Juan Manuel Bonet, Rafael Alberti, Publio López Mondéjar, Carlos Casares, and Lois Tobío.
This combination of images, biographical references, and reflections aims to provide a multifaceted approach to José Suárez's figure, allowing for the discovery of both the uniqueness of his perspective and the significance of his artistic legacy. The outdoor format also encourages spontaneous encounters with photography, bringing his work closer to the university community and the general public, transforming public space into a venue for cultural dissemination and memory recovery.
Regarding the honouree, the exhibition notes that “photographer, filmmaker, and intellectual, José Suárez developed a career marked by artistic avant-gardes, exile, and a profound sensitivity to the human condition”. His work, influenced by New Objectivity and the most innovative European movements, is characterised by the modernity of his compositions and a personal vision that transcends the mere documentary value of the image.
Through his unique photographic universe, Suárez captured everyday life, work, and the dignity of people, particularly in his well-known images of the Galician rural and maritime world. His travels and experiences in various countries further broadened the horizons of an artistic production that continues to evoke and surprise.
The arrival of this exhibition at the Ourense campus provides the public with an opportunity to engage with the life and work of a universal creator who transformed photography into a form of artistic expression, memory, and commitment to his time. This initiative holds special significance due to the artist's connection to the province of Ourense and the chance to introduce his legacy to new generations.
Finally, the organisers emphasise that this is an occasion to reaffirm the relevance of his visual language and acknowledge José Suárez's contribution to the history of contemporary photography.
