Néstor Reencontrado: Gender Ambiguity at Reina Sofía

The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid presents 'Néstor Reencontrado', a retrospective of over 100 works by Canarian artist Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, running until September 8. The exhibition highlights his gender-ambiguous figures blending masculine and feminine elements, which challenged early 20th-century moral conventions and led to his ostracism. His style fuses modernism, symbolism, and surrealism with strong, dark colors and sensual forms, often incorporating Masonic and esoteric symbols alongside nature from his native Gran Canaria. Born into a wealthy family, Néstor studied in Barcelona and Madrid, where he met Valle-Inclán, Federico García Lorca, and a young Salvador Dalí, who admired his work. He traveled to Paris, Brussels, London, and Spanish African colonies before establishing his studio in Gran Canaria in 1934. He died of a lung disease in 1938 at age 51. A museum dedicated to him was built in Gran Canaria, but he was largely forgotten in mainland Spain. This exhibition aims to rediscover his legacy, which also extends to architecture and theater.