We celebrate 38 years paying tribute to Casas Anfruns (1948-2023)

Thursday, May 2, was a day full of emotions. On the one hand, we inaugurated a tribute exhibition dedicated to the artist and friend Llorenç Casas Anfruns who left us in 2023, therefore, now that it has been a year since his transfer, we wanted to keep him in mind with this exhibition that includes thirty works with their most emblematic works. On the other hand, we have celebrated our 38 years of continuous activity in the city of Sant Cugat.

At the inauguration we had the presence of numerous family members and friends of the artist as well as clients and general followers of his painting.

The artist’s daughter, Teresa Casas, in charge of the presentation, gave us a tour of her artistic career but also highlighted certain aspects of her personality.

Here we leave you, in full, the words he dedicated to him:

“Good afternoon everyone!

Firstly, I would like to thank the Sala Rusiñol, Ignasi, Victoria and Carme for giving us the opportunity to pay this tribute to my father. Secondly, thank you also to everyone who has come to join us on such a special day.

When Ignasi told me to make this presentation, at first I didn’t hesitate, although then I didn’t know very well how to do it, but anyway I will do it. And I will do it because apart from being a great tribute to the life and work of my father, I also find it funny because this is where I started working once I finished my studies. I will never forget that stage in Sant Cugat, where I learned many things.

That said, I think there are three words that very well describe my father’s character and also his works:

PASSION: Passionate about everything he did and proposed.

SENSITIVITY: To capture the beauty in the landscape, that special sensitivity that only artists have.

PERSISTENCE: He was always constant and faithful to his passion, painting, and never gave up on anything.

But it was in 1992 with the Barcelona Olympic Games that marked a before and after. He delves into the Catalan capital and especially into the work of an architect he had always admired, Antoni Gaudí. From that time I remember the weekends going to Barcelona to see La Pedrera, Park Güell or Casa Batlló to find inspiration. When we got home he would immediately start drawing, spending hours and hours. When it seemed to all of us that a painting was finished, he always saw something to improve, we told him “don’t touch it anymore, it’s very good”, but for him there was always one more brushstroke to do in search of perfection.

In fact, the majority of paintings in this exhibition belong to this Gaudinian period. We can differentiate between two types of works:

Some are more realistic, such as those on the façade of La Pedrera (where he plays with the textures of walls and railings) or those of the Parc Güell brittle that allows him to work on the meticulousness of detail.

And other more impressionistic ones are these in which the diffused light of the rain is the protagonist, creating a magical and melancholic atmosphere. And he loved rainy days!!

I don’t want to go on any longer, I just want to say thank you once again for joining us, that I hope you enjoy this exhibition as much as we have enjoyed organizing it, that we are lucky that it has left a beautiful legacy and that you look at the paintings because in each brushstroke you will see the essence of this great painter and person who was my father.

Thank you!!”

On a date as special as this, the Culture Councilor of the Sant Cugat City Council, Núria Escamilla, also wanted to accompany us, who congratulated us on our career while dedicating emotional words to the work of Casas Anfruns. He also had the opportunity to receive a book about the artist dedicated by his widow, Conxita Torner.

You will find the book, which includes a good number of works, available in the gallery.

Once the speeches were over, we were accompanied by Marc Costa and Lluís Gallifa, members of LA BRIVA, who finished off the celebration with their music.

In this video there is a summary of the afternoon:

If you go here yo can see yhe entire collection.