Image: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Madrid
CentroCentro in Madrid is presenting ‘La lentitud de la luz’, the first institutional exhibition in the city devoted to María Lara. On view from 25 June through 15 November 2026, the exhibition brings together nearly 40 paintings and drawings spanning the last 25 years of the artist’s practice. The presentation is curated by Armando Montesinos.
The exhibition focuses on Lara’s sustained investigation of painting through colour, light and structure. Her works avoid descriptive or literary subject matter, instead emphasizing the physical qualities of the painted surface: format, scale, chromatic fields and compositional arrangements built from horizontal and vertical bands. The CentroCentro presentation describes these structures as simple but not simplistic, and relates Lara’s approach to the concerns of minimal art.
Lara’s paintings develop from close attention to subtle changes in the light in her studio. The institution characterizes the works as carefully and slowly constructed through the evaluation of colour, combinations and rhythm. Rather than offering rapidly consumed images, the exhibition presents painting as a space for sustained perception and contemplation.
Born in Loja, Granada, in 1940, Lara studied fine arts in Seville and at Madrid’s San Fernando Faculty of Fine Arts. Her education and early years in Madrid brought her into contact with Spanish and international artists, while subsequent periods in Italy, Greece, France and Bordeaux formed part of her development. After living and working in Málaga, she returned to Spain and later settled permanently in Madrid in 1985.
For many years, Lara was regarded as a “secret painter” because her work, developed largely in the privacy of her studio, had limited public exposure. CentroCentro notes that her recognition has expanded in recent years through a more frequent presence in galleries, fairs and public institutions. Her work is held by collections including the Helga de Alvear Museum in Cáceres, MUSAC in León, the Junta de Andalucía in Seville, Caja Madrid and the City Council of Burgos.
Recent solo presentations listed by CentroCentro include ‘Percepciones de interior’ at Galería Maior in Pollença and Galería Adora Calvo in Las Rozas, both in 2021–22, as well as ‘Sensaciones, registros e impresiones’ at MUSAC and ‘La luz’ at the Museo Francisco Sobrino, both in 2019. ‘La lentitud de la luz’ is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 8pm on the fifth floor of CentroCentro, with free admission. Guided visits with Lara and Montesinos are scheduled for 12 September and 18 July respectively.
