Donation

Artist José María Yturralde has donated three works from his Enso series to the Art Collection of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). The three pieces, created in 2025, are digital prints on Hahnemühle paper, each measuring 1 × 1 metre, produced as part of a limited edition of just 20 copies. (Video)

José María Yturralde (video interview) has explained that the donated works form part of an ongoing line of artistic research centred on the circle—enso, being the Japanese term for this concept. "It carries meanings linked to infinity, as the circle has no end, and also to emptiness or nothingness. These are concepts linked to Eastern philosophy and mysticism, which have always greatly interested me," he said during the event at which the paintings were donated.

Acknowledgement

UPV Rector José Capilla highlighted both Yturralde's artistic career and his longstanding ties to the university. "We have a very close relationship with José María, who, in addition to being an outstanding professional and artist, has been a full professor at this institution. This creates particularly strong bonds," he said.

"In his work, there is constant experimentation with light, optics, and the relationship between art, technology, and science. We are very grateful for this donation, which significantly enriches the university's collection," he added.

José María Yturralde is regarded as a key figure in Spanish abstraction. His artistic career is characterised by a high level of experimentation, linking art and science through spatial, formal and mathematical research. He has received numerous distinctions, including the Sant Carles Medal (2018), granted by the UPV Faculty of Fine Arts, and the National Award for Plastic Arts in 2020.

Academic Career at UPV

The artist enrolled at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in 1958. Six years later, he was appointed as a grant-funded assistant lecturer and subsequently worked as a lecturer in decorative drawing. His academic career continued after the school became the Faculty of Fine Arts and joined the Universitat Politècnica de València, where he was appointed senior lecturer of Painting in the 1979–80 academic year.

A full professor in Painting since 1994, Yturralde taught several generations of students until his retirement in 2007. He remains highly active, with painting still forming part of his daily routine.

The UPV Art Collection comprises around 4,000 works of contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, graphic works and photography.

With the addition of these three new pieces, the collection now holds a total of 93 works by Yturralde, spanning a range of techniques, including screen prints, acrylic on canvas, and flying structures.

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