Edició de Desembre 2002

Nostra Gent

Avui, encetem aquesta nova seccié del El Xàfec amb la voluntat de coneixer-nos més entre nosaltres i, així poder aprendre i participar de les nostres inquietuts i vivencies.

Avui tenim el goig de presentar-vos a l'amic Josep Mafè (capità de lladres-segons ell...) viu a Edmonton i encara que per la disténcia se l'hi faci difícil de venir als aplecs, és membre del Casal des de fa una pila d'anys.

Mafè was born in Barcelona, the city of Mirò, Gaudí, Carreras, Casals, Picasso, Caballé, Dalì... As a kid, his father took him to museums and concerts and to walk in the city streets, where you can find a painter working in almost every corner. Mafè was absorbed by the magic of paint, brush and images. Back home he put most of his time into drawing and dreaming to become an artist.

Stormy and tough times came up civil war, world war, survival, and emigration.

He landed in Brazil where he became a draftsman and then went to university to become a technologist. Not much of an artist and not much time left to try to be one, since he had to continuously update himself in technology. But oil and brushes never left him, were always around, ready to create.

He moved to Edmonton in 1981, working at the City in his profession. Again not much time was left for art, although it was a pressing need. So he took evening courses at the Art Gallery and U of A Continuing education and kept painting once in a while. He was part, during several years, of a group of artist in the so-called “Group of Mondays”. A bunch of oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel painters and some sculptors met every Monday with a nude model to pursue their business.

Mafè painted two 8’x16’ murals: one for the Ibero American pavilion and the other one for the Spanish pavilion, both to be seen at Heritage Days. He has exhibited at diverse places in Edmonton since 1997.

He enjoys painting European castles and scenes as well as Brazilian landscapes, as memories of his past life.