Background
Oriach was born in Sabadell in Catalonia. His family established itself there in the fifteenth century.
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Xavier Oriach
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He is best known for his association with the School of Paris. When his ancestors, the Oriacs of the Massif Central, settled in the area. Encouraged by the succession of artists that frequented the atelier, Oriach began to draw and paint at the end of the 1930s.
Consequently, in 1944 he entered the Fine Arts School of Valencia.
lieutenant was there, in 1947, that he participated in the foundation of the avant-garde group Z. He began to incorporate elements of Fauvism into his work. The local French Institute accorded him a scholarship, which was enough to allow him, after a first exhibition of his work in Catalonia, to flee the Franco regime.
To continue painting he began experimenting with more diverse styles. He had, in his youth, met Antoni Clavé in Barcelona, and had known Manolo Gil in Valencia.
In Paris he also came to know Antoni Tàpies, Eduardo Chillida, and Palazuelo.
Some months after arriving he attracted the interest of Bernard Dorival, who invited him to the retrospective of Georges Braque then being organized at the Musée National d"Art Moderne. In 1953 Oriach was shown at the Galerie Breteau. Not long afterwards he became involved in the New School of Paris, showing both at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles ainsi and the Salon de Mai.
During the 1950s the Franco regime attempted to lure various artists in exile to return to Spain.
Notwithstanding the fact that most of the artists in question were ideologically opposed to the dictator it was hoped that such liberalization would help soften the government"s image abroad. Nevertheless, Oriach refused to return.
When he did leave Paris in 1979 it was only to establish himself at Jouy-sur-Eure (Normandy), where he had gone regularly since his arrival in France. In 1991 Oriach moved again, this time to Normandy, where several retrospectives of his work have been organized.
He also shows regularly in his native Catalonia.
