Helios Gómez

Who was Helios Gómez?

Helios Gómez is considered as one of most emblematic representatives of Spanish graphics in first half of 20th century. He was a painter, revolutionist, but also an anarchist–communist and a poet.

He was born in Seville at Triana quarter into a very poor Romani family with rural origin. Until his death he was proud of his Romani and Andalusian origin. He first became involved with the visual arts as a simple worker in many porcelain factories of Seville, where he ornamented different objects, at the same time following the School of Craft Arts and Trade of the city. During the 1920s he created his political conscience at anarchist at the revolutionary centers of Iberian Peninsula: Seville and Barcelona. Later he took part in the Avant-Garde of European capitals where he lived as a refugee, especially Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow and Leningrad. During this time and especially since he was a member of National Confederation of Labor he proceeded as a draftsman in press, appealing for justice and being expressed without fear against Primo De Rivera's dictatorship and later against Francisco Franco. This was the essentiality of his commitment.