Óscar Domínguez Graphic Art Exhibition Opens at TEA Tenerife

An exhibition celebrating the graphic art of Tenerife-born artist Óscar Domínguez opens this Friday at 7:00 PM at TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes. This show, which focuses on his work as an engraver and illustrator, will be on display at the contemporary art museum in Tenerife's capital until March 15, 2026. The exhibition was officially launched on Thursday, with attendees including José Carlos Acha, Councillor for Culture and Museums of Tenerife; Sergio Rubira, TEA's artistic director; and the exhibition's curators, Jorge Rodríguez de Rivera and Isidro Hernández.

Óscar Domínguez (born in Tenerife in 1906, died in Paris in 1957) created a significant body of graphic work throughout his career. This includes limited series of original prints made from a main image or plate. His notable pieces range from illustrations for writers of the Spanish Republic era and the art magazine Gaceta de Arte, to works for Guy Lévis Mano's Parisian publishing house.

The exhibition features around 300 pieces. Visitors can see the lithographic posters Domínguez designed, his engravings for various projects (especially those made during the occupation of Paris and the post-war years), and other works like collective books.

Titled "Óscar Domínguez: Graphic Artist," the exhibition stems from the extensive cataloging of his works by Jorge Rodríguez de Rivera and Isidro Hernández. It aims to highlight the importance of this aspect of his creativity within his overall artistic output. The show confirms that Domínguez's ventures into graphic art were a complete and original practice, significant enough to warrant dedicated study and display.

After the opening, the curators will give a talk titled 'Óscar Domínguez: Graphic Work and Illustrated Books' this Saturday at 12:00 PM. They will discuss Domínguez's extensive career in illustration and engraving, a field he pursued alongside his painting and the creation of symbolic objects.

Sergio Rubira noted that the exhibition serves as a comprehensive catalog of Domínguez's graphic work, aiming to showcase most of it and highlight its importance. He emphasized that Domínguez's graphic art stands alone, possessing its own distinct identity and not merely serving as an extension of his painting.

Rubira also mentioned that the process of compiling this detailed catalog of Domínguez's graphic work, a collaboration between the Azcona Foundation and TEA, uncovered some surprises. He expects more of Domínguez's engravings to surface after the exhibition, indicating that this is an ongoing exploration rather than a final conclusion on his graphic output.

The exhibition curators will present their talk, 'Óscar Domínguez: Graphic Work and Illustrated Books,' this Saturday.

Jorge Rodríguez de Rivera announced that the full catalog will be released in the first quarter of 2026. He highlighted a key feature of the exhibition: it brings together, for the first time, a significant collection related to Paul Éluard's famous book Poésie et vérité, 1942. Domínguez illustrated this book in 1947 with 33 etchings, and the exhibition includes notable copies, such as one from the Paul Éluard Museum of Art and History in Saint-Denis and another from the Emmanuel Boussard Library in Paris (formerly part of the Paul Destribats collection).

Rodríguez de Rivera added that this marks the first time the complete series of Domínguez's original drawings for Éluard's book has been shown in Spain. He also pointed out that TEA is displaying both the first book Domínguez illustrated in 1933 (Romanticismo y cuenta nueva, a poetry collection by Emeterio Gutiérrez Albelo) and his last, Hojas dispersas (Homage to René Crevel), from 1957.

Also featured is a copy that once belonged to Jacques Goldschmidt, editor of the Les Nourritures Terrestres collection. The exhibition showcases Domínguez's preparatory proofs for this renowned book. A particularly unique highlight is a series of pencil drawings the artist made directly onto printed plates that already contained Paul Éluard's preliminary texts.

Isidro Hernández described Domínguez as a "meticulous creator of drawing and image." He observed the "finesse" with which the artist approached his engravings, stressing that such a comprehensive collection of material related to Poésie et vérité has never before been assembled. The exhibition also includes another significant illustrated work by Domínguez, Domaine, a collection by poet Robert Ganzo, along with various other books and graphic pieces by the artist.

The works on display come from TEA's own collection, as well as numerous other private and institutional lenders.