In his works, Lobo portrayed the female figure and the mother and child, inspired by the primitive forms of Iberian masks and sculptures. Elegant and rhythmic, he showed femininity in a style that ran between figuration and abstraction.
He was among the émigré artists who fled to Paris during the rise of Franco and was an associate of artists such as Pablo Picasso and Jacques Lipchitz.
Wonderful sensuality
Though the sculptor does not have the foothold in the UK that he does in his native land, the gallery’s director Anthony Brown has an abiding respect for his work born out of practical experience as well as aesthetic preference.
“There is a wonderful sensuality in the way he presents his figures,” Brown says. “He makes his own language which is so difficult in art, especially sculpture. You’re dominated by the material and you only have so many choices.”
The dealer speaks as a former student of sculpture. “It gave me a fabulous appreciation for how difficult and complex it is,” he says.
The exhibition of Lobo’s sculpture runs from May 31-June 30 (following previous shows in 2001, ‘04 and ‘14) and includes drawings as well as three-dimensional pieces in bronze and marble. Prices range from £7000-300,000, though the majority are at the £20,000-60,000 level.
“The forms are so beautiful and so clever,” Brown says. The summer is a “very international time in London. Lots of people coming will want something fairly spectacular.”
As well as having a dedicated museum in Zamora, Spain, Lobo has works included in the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Centro d’Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid and the Tokyo National Museum among others.
