Adolfo Barnatan was born in Paris in 1951. His family relocated to Buenos Aires and in 1965 he found his home in Madrid where he studied art and interior design.
In the 1970’s he began exhibiting his work and in 1972 launched his first solo exhibition «Visiones Celestes, Visiones terrestres» («Celestial Visions, Land Visions») at Rayuela Gallery (Madrid). His early work consisted primarily of drawings with detailed trace.
By 1974, he evolved with a keen interest in volume which naturally led him to sculpture. Before fully emerging as a sculpturer however he started experimenting with oil and acrylics, where he incorporated his own style of utilizing rich color on large format canvases.
From 1994, focus shifted primarily to sculpture.
In 1997 he inaugurated an exhibition dedicated to Hermes, Aphrodite and Hermaphrodite. It is evident how mythology and mysticism inspired him, a trend that has continued throughout his life.
By 1995, begins to participate in various international art fairs, and exhibited regularly at ARCO Madrid.
In 2001, he launched his first solo American exhibition in New York, at the prestigious Salander O’Reilly Gallery which resulted in the acquisition of a large sculpture by the Bank for International Settlements in Basel.
Barnatan’s sculptural creations are subject to constant inspiration and evolution that have gained national and international acclaim. From his first solo exhibition in 1972, Adolfo Barnatán’s work has been present in public collections such as Reina Sofia Museum of Madrid, Goulandris Foundation in Greece, Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami, March Foundation in Madrid, La Caixa Collection, Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Madrid, House of Commons of Spain for the 40th Anniversary of the Spanish Constitution. Also his work is present in private collections around the world, being specially spectacular “Amor de Venus” with 5,20 meters long of black limestone, that stands majestic at the entrance of The Peninsula of Shanghai Hotel since 2009.
His work is exhibited, nationally and internationally, at the main Art Fairs and prestigious.