Antonio Pujía

Among his most successful later series was that of his "Homage to the Woman," which he began in 2004. Suspending his teaching activities, he devoted subsequent years to developing the project.

In the sculpture "Man - Woman" (1996), the artist Antonio Pujía has incorporated some Cubist winks in the arrangement of splitting. By mixing these elements, it has continued with the Cubist ideology "show what you know, not just what you see." Hips backwards and heads rotated are the most notorious elements that refer to this artistic ism. In the sculpture "Man - Woman" has been played by the union of two figures, a supposedly female and the other male, which is only recognizable as such by the exhibition of his member. By unifying these two entities into one volumetric construction, the artist wanted to represent a partner concept political present in most of his art exhibitions: gender equality.

His 1975 exhibit at the San Martín Cultural Center was a particular success, and Pujía added his entire warehouse of works to the initial display. He lived in Spain from 1975 to 1976, working in the renowned Escorial Museum.

Beginning in 1971, Antonio Pujía has created several artistic medals to commemorate private and national events, as well as to reward renowned people. A medal is, strictly speaking, a small, flat, and round (at times, ovoid) piece of metal that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way marked with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for sporting, military, scientific, academic, or various other achievements. An artist who creates medals or medallions is called a "medallist" (UK) or "medalist" (US).

He has a son from his first marriage: Vittorio Pujia, a musician who lives in France. In 1960 he joined for love Susana Nicolai (a Psychologist and Ceramist) his lifelong partner, with whom he has two children: Lino Pujía (an Argentinian filmmaker) and Sandro Pujía (an Argentinian photographer).

In 1956 Pujia won a competition to be the head of newly created Scenic Sculpture Workshop Department at the Colón Theatre, continuing working as director until 1970. From this period comes his fascination with music and dance, two of his favorite subjects. Regularly attends the dancers classes and take endless notes on charcoal on paper. Pujía was close to a number of the opera house's ballet company dancers, and he created a bust of Norma Fontenla (on display at the theatre's foyer). He established his own atelier, and left his post at the Colón Theatre in 1970 to teach at his studio, full-time.

In the early years of study he didn't even dreamed of becoming a teacher. I wanted to learn from my teachers, Fioravanti, Bigatti, Troiano Troiani, and then worked in their studios for a living. Teaching comes in 1949, when I won a prize in the Students and Alumni Association of Fine Arts (MEEBA) and its president called me to give classes. 'Not at all, I did not finish the Pueyrredón' I remember I answered. I resisted a little, and offered me to test a month. Then was born that kind of passion aroused by the teaching, which is a form of learning.

Pujía began attending the Buenos Aires's numerous studios in 1943, developing an interest in painting and sculpture. One of his early mentors was the realist sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia. He obtained a MFA in Sculpture, from the National College of Fine Arts Ernesto de la Cárcova (1954). He also earned a degree as a Professor of Sculpture from the National School of Fine Arts Prilidiano Pueyrredón (1950) and a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (Drawing) from the School of Fine Arts Manuel Belgrano (1946).

Antonio Pujía (11 June 1929 – 26 May 2018) was an Argentinian sculptor. Through his artwork he always both honoured women and also denounced the world's horrors of famine and war.

Antonio Pujía was born in Polia, a small town in Calabria, southern Italy, on June 11, 1929. In May 1937 he emigrated with his mother and older sister Carmela to Argentina, where his father Vittorio (who had traveled when Antonio was only two years old) was expecting them. Since his early childhood (and because his difficulty with the Spanish language) he began to draw elements of reality that will attract his attention by the novelty meant for. Upon graduation, the teacher guides students in their future education and tells Pujía that he should follow Fine Arts.