America Sánchez

The contemporary aesthetic of Barcelona cannot be understood without America Sanchez’s work. He is the author of several emblematic graphic icons of the so-called “city of design”: Vinçon, the Olympic Games of ’92, the magazine Ajoblanco and the CD Viatge a Ítaca by Lluís Llach, amongs others. Sanchez (whose real name is Juan Carlos Pérez Sánchez) arrives in Barcelona in 1965 and, though the 70s and 80s, becomes a referent of the cultural boom of Spain’s newly found democracy Experimentation, identity and pop-art are key words in his trajectory. His logos, posters and advertising covers, just like his photomontage pieces and polaroid pictures, share Sanchez’s very characteristic aesthetic, which he has defined as a hybrid style, at once classical, modern, jazz and tropical.

His courage and constant innovation do not only define his artistic legacy, but they also articulate a collective story about Barcelona, about how the image of the city is created, about the place of Latin-American diasporas in this cultural identity. Above all, Sanchez shows that art exceeds its own boundaries and permeates each and every layer of society.

His work has been recognized internationally and has been part of exhibitions in different countries. In 2018, La Fuente archie acquired an important part of his work for their private collection. In 2019, his work was shown in the retrospective exhibition , America Sanchez, clásico, moderno, jazz, tropical, at Palau Robert, in Barcelona, and at Centre Centre Cultural-Llibreria Blanquerna, in Madrid.