The Lanzaroteño sculptor, Pancho Lasso, is the subject of a new exhibition being launched today at the Museum of International Contemporary Art (MIAC) which is located in the Castillo de San José in Arrecife.

Pancho Lasso began his career as a sculptor in the early part of the twentieth century, creating works carved in wood which drew their inspiration from organic forms such as vegetation. From 1928 onwards, having abandoned his academic studies, he began to work in a sculpture workshop.

Alongside his friend Alberto Sanchez, he was part of the bohemian avant-garde who helped in creating the Escuela de Vallecas, an aesthetic project concerned with how nature and landscapes are perceived.

During the civil war, the artist spent most of his time in mainland Spain, fighting for the republic. He returned to Lanzarote in 1939 and resumed his sculptural career, forming a close friendship with Cesar Manrique at this time.

Apart from his artistic endeavours, Lasso was also closely involved in politics, eventually becoming a Communist Party member. His reputation as a sculptor grew over the following decades, through participation in numerous international exhibitions in Rome, the Hague and Paris. Lasso died in Madrid in 1973, aged 67.

A permanent collection of several of his works is housed in the Museum of Contemporary International Art, whilst the exhibition which is currently on show includes pieces that have not been displayed for several decades, including the work entitled Vieja Sentada or Old Lady Seated. Other works included in this exhibition were created by Lasso during his sojourn as a soldier in Spain during the civil war.