José Luis Zumeta Etxeberria (Usurbil, 19 April 1939) is known by the Basque in comparison to other artists. Member of the GAUR group, then Ez Dok Amairu, author of the covers of Mikel Laboa, the best known of the posters, who drew the Xoriak of Artze… The imaginary of Basque culture cannot be understood since the 1960s without taking into account Zumeta’s work. And it seems that he will follow: if not, look at the presence that his Gernika painting has had in recent times.
In his long and fruitful career, José Luis Zumeta has carried out various works, but in most of the abstract cases, that is why the period of the late 70’s is so amazing
At the age of 14 he started working at the Valverde Printing Office in Donostia-San Sebastián. There he saw them for the first time, thanks to reproductions, Cezánne, Modigliani, Picasso, Klee… He started painting. I wanted to be a painter at the age of 15. He studied at the San Sebastian School of Arts and Crafts. He moved to Paris in 1959, where he met Rafael Ruiz Balerdi.
In 1967 he won the Basque Painting Grand Prix competition with Pablo Picasso’s Tribute to Gernika. This work is currently missing.
The ceramic mural he placed in Pasaia in 1974, thanks to those who were placed in Usurbil in 1973, has also disappeared.
In his long and fruitful career, José Luis Zumeta has done various works, but in most of the abstract cases, that is why this period of the late 1970s is so surprising, in which the artist portrays with a savage figuration his environment, his world.
For example, in this painting that bears the name of your hometown. It has been said that he wanted to make a social critique, but it does not seem so; the figures in this painting were painted on the sides of the entrance door of the Zumeta restaurant, which was once in his home.
Now, that piece of meat causes as much fear as people's dark faces.
Behin batean, gazterik, gidoi nagusia betetzea egokitu zitzaion. Elbira Zipitriaren ikasle izanak, ikastolen mugimendu berriarekin bat egin zuen. Irakasle izan zen artisau baino lehen. Gero, eskulturgile. Egun, musika jotzen du, bere gogoz eta bere buruarentzat. Eta beti, eta 35... [+]
This text comes two years later, but the calamities of drunks are like this. A surprising surprise happened in San Fermín Txikito: I met Maite Ciganda Azcarate, an art restorer and friend of a friend. That night he told me that he had been arranging two figures that could be... [+]
On Monday afternoon, I had already planned two documentaries carried out in the Basque Country. I am not particularly fond of documentaries, but Zinemaldia is often a good opportunity to set aside habits and traditions. I decided on the Pello Gutierrez Peñalba Replica a week... [+]
