Alaquàs Hosts Exhibition on Karpa, Key Figure in Valencian Comics and Design

The exhibition at the Castell-Palau d'Alaquàs commemorates the centenary of the birth of Rafael Miguel Català Lucas, known as Karpa.

Image recreating Karpa's creative universe, with elements of comic, industrial design, and advertising illustration.
IA

Image recreating Karpa's creative universe, with elements of comic, industrial design, and advertising illustration.

The Castell-Palau d'Alaquàs is hosting "100 anys de Karpa" (100 years of Karpa), an exhibition exploring the creative universe of Rafael Miguel Català Lucas, known as Karpa, a key figure in Valencian comics and design.

This exhibition, open from April 15 to 29, commemorates the centenary of Karpa's birth and offers a visual and biographical journey through his career. The display covers everything from comic books to industrial design and advertising illustration, highlighting his influence across various fields.
Karpa, born in Nules in 1926, trained at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Sant Carles and emerged as one of the central figures of the so-called Valencian School of comics. His style, characterized by confident lines and clear storytelling, became a benchmark in children's comic books during the post-war and transition periods.
The exhibition, curated by Carles Gómez Recatalà and Carlos Gómez Mechó, moves away from a traditional chronological approach to immerse visitors in the author's imagination. It includes reproductions from his time at Editorial Valenciana, references to his best-known characters, and his connection to board games and playful design, with a special focus on the iconic products of Juegos Reunidos Geyper.
Among the most notable exhibits are fifteen large-format canvases, an institutional recognition area, and a large cube puzzle that invites the public to interact with his iconography. The project, promoted by the Institut Valencià de Cultura and Artèria Gestió Cultural, with the collaboration of the Alaquàs City Council and the Universitat Politècnica de València, emphasizes Karpa's ability to create figures that have been passed down through generations.
Rafael Miguel Català Lucas received the Gold Medal for Cultural Merit from the Generalitat in 1992 and passed away in València in 2000, leaving a legacy that remains alive in Valencian graphic and cultural memory.