Antoni Tàpies is the most reputed Catalan artist of the post-war era, (1923-2012). His abstract works focused on highly intuitive, enigmatic images which challenge our perception of reality. He worked with a variety of themes and influences: left-wing politics and humanitarianism; the practices of Zen meditation; the Christian concept of incarnation; and a conviction that art was a kind of alchemy or magic that could transform the basest materials. He is considered significant among the revolutionary Spanish artists of the 20th Century.