Jacinto Higueras

Biography

Jacinto Higueras Cátedra was born in Santisteban del Puerto, Jaén (Andalusia). He studied drawing, painting and ceramics at Madrid's Ceramic Official School and also learned sculpture from his father, while learning Philosophy at Madrid's University and acting in an amateur theatre company. There he met Federico García Lorca and in 1932 they created "La Barraca" universitarian theatre group, where he himself acted. It would later become famous, abruptly ending with the Spanish Civil War outbreak in 1936. After the war was over Luis Escobar, who had been appointed Arts department head, made him enter the National Theatre Company, which saved him from political repression as he had been in the Republican side. In 1933 he dubbed to Spanish the American film "Cavalcade" and started a sporadic connection with movies, both dubbing and acting in a couple : Don Quintín el amargao (1935) and La señorita de Trevélez (1936) and Consultaré a Mister Brown (1946). After the war ended he established in Madrid. He was commissioned to create the National School for Crafts (Escuela Nacional de Artesanía) and worked as a sculptor, also giving lessons. One of his most original works is a translucent plastic sculpture of the Virgin of the Light (Virgen de la Luz). Another significant one is "The Comeback" (el Regreso), placed at Jaén's University campus. He took part in many arts exhibitions. During the 40s he worked in theatre and also performed in a couple of operas in silent roles. From 1952 he directed for three years the Teatro Español Universitario, staging mainly classical Spanish plays (Cervantes, Calderón, Mihura) and took part in an international theatrical contest in Saarbrucken, Germany, then worked at Madrid's Teatro de la Zarzuela (1958-9). He continued giving art lessons and working in architect's commissions until his death. A retrospective exhibition of both his and his father's works was held at Jaén in 1995, and on march 2000 another one took place in Barcelona including his own creations as well as his daughter's and grandson's. He died in Madrid on Christmas day 2009, a few weeks after his wife. For more information see http://www.higuerasarte.com/jh-biografia.htm