Delfim Maya - Cut-sheet Horses

Delfim Maria de Sousa Maya (Porto, 21 December 1886 – Lisbon, 13 March 1978) was a self-taught Portuguese sculptor belonging to the first generation of Portuguese modernist artists. A cavalry officer and accomplished equestrian, his great passion was horses, which became the principal subject of his artistic work. Known for his sharp observation and vibrant style, movement is the unmistakable hallmark of his sculptures. He began his artistic career in watercolour and caricature before turning to sculpture professionally in his forties, after being dismissed from the army in 1919 for supporting the monarchist cause. Delfim Maya was the first artist to introduce cut sheet metal sculpture to Portugal in 1934. Working with industrial iron sheet and other metals, he would plan out figures, cutting and folding them, moving from two-dimensional templates into fully formed three-dimensional forms. This innovative approach placed him within the expressionist movement, and his work in cut and folded sheet metal — with no welding — was hailed as extraordinary, with critic José-Augusto França noting the remarkable skill with which every edge of the metal fell exactly where it needed to, creating interior space and guaranteeing the exterior profile of each form. He exhibited internationally in Spain and Brazil and was invited to represent Portugal at the 1939 New York World's Fair, a recognition of the originality of his contribution to modern sculpture.