PILAR DIRECTING THE HANGING OF HER PAINTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES

“Pilar Pobil, a Spanish-American woman, powerfully expresses herself with a simple clarity of pictorial language, cohesive vision and truthful portrayal of life. She is a master in balancing bold-patterned content with vibrant fauve color. She convincingly unites sophisticated Latin and naive folk art.”

                                    Vern Swanson, Director of Springville Art Museum

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ABOUT PILAR POBIL

Although Pilar knew from an early age that she was an artist, she was born in Spain at a time when women were not encouraged to pursue their ambitions. Pilar’s father was an admiral in the Spanish Navy and was tragically killed in the Civil War when she was a young child. Her mother was very austere and conservative. Pilar became a rebel in order to pursue her dreams. She married an American WWII veteran and came to live in Utah.

When Pilar was in her forties, she started to work seriously as a professional artist. Pilar is now 97 years old, but still growing, learning and creating art. She is still on a journey of discovery.

 

THE WORK

Through vivid color, form, light and shadow, Pilar’s strong expression defines what she wants the viewer to see and feel. No matter the subject, Pilar pushes the essence she perceives as far as she can. Painting from a place of feeling, she is often surprised by the direction her work takes as it evolves into something quite different from its original intent. Pilar has received many honors and awards for her art, both locally and internationally. In 2019 she was recognized as one of Utah’s Most Influential Artists. In 2016, she was knighted by the King of Spain for her extraordinary contribution to Spanish culture.

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