The University Library of the ULPGC will host the event 'The Violet Canvas: Jane Millares Sall, Art, Identity, and Empowerment'. The talk, scheduled for June 3rd at 6:00 PM, aims to introduce the public, especially young people, to the figure and work of this artist from Gran Canaria, considered one of the most unique and least visible artistic voices of 20th-century Canarian art.
Participants in the event will include Juliana Honorato, a consultant in Social Innovation and Culture and promoter of Ecoar Colectiva Lab, and journalist Michel Jorge Millares, the artist's son and custodian of her family archive. Both will highlight Millares' work's deep connection to identity, the female condition, and the social reality of her time, a trajectory that, despite its relevance, was overshadowed by other male figures in art history.
Jane Millares Sall (Gran Canaria, 1928-2022) was the only woman associated with the Canarian indigenist movement. Her art, which ranged between expressive figuration and abstraction, was characterized by a profoundly human perspective. She herself described her work as a reflection of 'the world of people's souls,' a statement that, according to Honorato, reveals her ability to observe both others and herself.
Honorato emphasizes that Millares' work was built 'from resistance,' shaped by the historical context of the post-war period and the Franco dictatorship, as well as the limited opportunities for female creators at the time. The artist transformed her motherhood and identity into the driving force behind a body of work that addressed social and political issues from a unique perspective.
The political dimension of her art was particularly evident during her indigenist phase, an aesthetic current that also served as a stance against dominant narratives, connecting the history of erased collectives with the condition of women. Despite her significance, her name never achieved the same notoriety as other artists, such as her brother Manolo Millares, leaving her work 'largely unknown and even marginalized'.
Insularity also played a role in her career. Jane Millares' decision to develop her art from Canary Islands, rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere, is interpreted as an act of resistance and a demonstration that 'art could also be created from the European periphery'.
This talk is part of a broader strategy by Ecoar Colectiva Lab to promote Jane Millares' figure, which includes a series of three podcasts. The initiative aligns with the philosophy of the ULPGC's citizen laboratory, which promotes projects in culture, education, social participation, and equality, aiming to highlight women artists and preserve memory.
