Medal - 2008 TFP Award; Guillermo Pérez Villalta

Guillermo Pérez Villalta was born in Tarifa (Cádiz) in 1948. As a child, his family moved to Madrid, where he later began his architectural studies, a career he left unfinished but whose study would forever influence his work. His early works refer to constructivism, a path he abandoned when he came into contact with the circle of artists at the Amadís gallery, the nucleus of the so-called "Madrid figuration of the 1970s."

In 1974, he studied neoclassical art on separate trips to Paris and London, and in 1975, a trip to Italy intensified his interest in classicism and mythology. In 1980, Margit Rowell selected him to participate in the important exhibition "New Images from Spain" at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Behind his painting and graphic work lies a thoughtful geometric structure and a complex conceptual apparatus that combines references to art history, religions, mythology, and his own life. He has created designs for furniture and jewelry, stage sets, and decorative projects, such as the dome of the Andalusian Pavilion at Expo '92 or that of the Campo de Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. He is also the author of numerous theoretical texts in which he explores his interest in issues such as ornamentation, the influence of the avant-garde on popular culture, and drawing as an instrument of knowledge. A defender of beauty as enjoyment and as "necessary for living," Guillermo Pérez Villalta makes no secret of his passion for the ornamental (as opposed to minimalist art). Although he is sometimes provocative and borders on scandal, he follows traditional design and production methods: multiple sketches, a refined technique, and slow execution. He reflects diverse influences and confesses to being an admirer not only of the Old Masters, but also of Giorgio de Chirico, Marcel Duchamp, and Dalí.

Among other awards, Guillermo Pérez Villalta received the National Prize for Plastic Arts in 1985, the Andalusian Prize for Plastic Arts in 1994, and the Tomás Francisco Prieto Prize in 2008.