Born in Barcelona, Spain in 1931, Joan Hernandez Pijuan’s interest in abstraction, primitivism, and expressionism is evident in his simple yet rough compositions. After graduating from the Esculea de Bellas Artes de Sant Jordi, Pijuan had his first solo exhibition at The Museo Municipal de Mataro in Barcelona.

Pijuan, along with artists Carles Planell, Eduardo Alcoy, and Josep Maria Rovira Brull, formed the group “Grupo Silex.” This group was interested in the primitive’s manifestation in contemporary art. Pijuan’s prints reflect this interest. His simplistic style is unassuming yet employs great emotion. He uses pattern, texture, and color to create visually interesting compositions.

Pijuan studied etching and lithography at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des beaux-arts in Paris, France. Retrospectives of his work have been held at the National Centre de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain and the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, Russia. He was represented at the 2005 Venice Biennale.