"As I occasionally summarize the years of my professional career, the names of artists emerge with whom I have collaborated together with more than once. Such is the case with Amadeu. This has only one simple explanation: I feel good working with him. Not just because of his professionalism, which is well reflected in most of his performances related to the plastic arts, but above all, because of his pleasant demeanor that is characteristic of an artisan whose work is his way of life.

"As I occasionally summarize the years of my professional career, the names of artists emerge with whom I have collaborated together with more than once. Such is the case with Amadeu. This has only one simple explanation: I feel good working with him. Not just because of his professionalism, which is well reflected in most of his performances related to the plastic arts, but above all, because of his pleasant demeanor that is characteristic of an artisan whose work is his way of life.

If you have the opportunity to work with him, I am sure you will agree with me, and you will even tell me that I have held back my praise in this evaluation."

I know from experience that the creators of small cities or large towns have to work much more to make themselves known or recognized. Amadeu is a clear example of how talent travels a journey to gain exposure.

We met for the first time at the Sant Josep Cultural Centre of Hospitalet thanks to an exhibition of his masks that I had previously seen at the Museu Romàntic in Sitges. Since then, this Renaissance man, who is Baroque at the same time, and who knows perfectly well how to work materials, colours, and shapes into theatre, has grown together with the country’s theatres and great productions.

Amadeu is an alchemist that treats each button, each feather, the leather or metals with the care of an artisan. It is quite a challenge for a professional to put together a wardrobe and at the same time hats and shoes, the characters’ accessories or the scene’s elements with his precision and level. The work he has accomplished up to this point could fill wonderful books and magnificent exhibitions. What he does next will allow us to enjoy excellent shows.

Since my first collaboration with Amadeu Farré, more than twenty-five years ago, I have tried to work with him as many times as possible and the results are always nothing short of excellent.

His professional standing and his artistic emotiveness are indisputable but there are a few factors that make him stand apart and shine among almost all the specialists of his subject matter: His Renaissance versatility allows him to achieve a colossal number of resources, take on any project with certainty and the most important for me, his expert creative generosity that, with a constant spirit of research, always honors those of us that are lucky enough to work with him.

From the artist to the creator

Some time ago – I am talking about more than 25 years– and in a presentation of Amadeu, he was named the “Mask maker”. In the difficult world of theater is where we became acquainted and he began his career. So many years have passed since then, and as a result I can tell you that I have had the privilege of following his growing career and witnessing his transformation. Amadeu’s growth would not have been possible if he did not have in him the perennial seed that makes someone become an “Artist". But being an artist does not guarantee a stroke of genius, or even a proper use of skill. This seed should be grafted with the “Creator” seed; as a result its symbiosis makes the person owning such germ become special, even one-of-a-kind. Now then, I take back my first christening of Amadeu and I will rename him “Creative Artist”, capable of seeing with eyes of fantasy and giving corporeal life to his brilliant imagination.

Perhaps, however, I should engage a little and tell you what I understand by “Creative Artist” and the first thing that occurs to me is the limit or, better yet! the lack of limits a person must have that will allow him to take risks in different artistic disciplines and –most importantly– in creative challenges. Amadeu has abundantly exerted his limitlessness and has worked in various plastic fields: mask maker, maker of religious images, costume designer, decorator and so many more things with courage and genius and, in his hands, his creations have become daring and unique.

Now we have the chance of penetrating into one of these fields, that of costume designer or the art of creating the actors’ second face so that they become the chosen character. And if we had to look for a qualifier for his work it would be richness; richness in the utilization of the different elements that make up wardrobe and rich imagination. There are not phonemes of style but a style all its own, what we would call a unique and distinctive “hallmark” that makes Amadeu Ferré an authentic “Creative Artist”.

The twoo look of the artist

As a consummate professional, Amadeu Ferré is someone who thoroughly observes the world of characters he dresses, the environment and the condition that the author has conceded them: the wealthy woman or the illiterate man, the warrior of unabashed violence or of noble lineage, the wise female or the playful, mischievous cat...

And with just a glance we know that he got it right.

But very often a deeper meaning is deduced from the designs of an Amadeu Ferré costume. The character arrives most intimately endeared, at the core of the soul, overtaken by a powerful landscape and the poetic aura that he delivers in the mystery of illusory fiction.

Thus, this is how we find Salome, with an exquisite jewel where the sand of the desert is reflected; and the infamous massacre and cannibalism that the vindictive Titus Andronicus traffics in; and the incessant pride of Mephistopheles; and the blue of the sea that reflects on the coat of García Lorca in his Atlantic crossing towards New York...

And there you have it, a lightning of intelligence and complicity, constantly shinning forth good taste.