Josefa Tolra, was an artist and medium born in Cabrils, Barcelona 1880-1959.
She never visited an Art school, but she started drawing and painting in her 60’s between 1941 and 1959, when both of her sons passed away. A gentle lady who took up
drawing to help her overcome the enormous sadness caused by the death of her
two sons: “Only when I’m drawing I feel at peace”.
Josefa Tolra produced more than a hundred
drawings, wrote numerous texts and embroidered a range of shawls. A patient and absorbing
activity done at home while attending to the needs of her family and neighbours
who visited requesting her help as a healer. She never wanted to be an
artist nor did she seek recognition, drawing was an antidote against the need
to overcome the existential pain. Her work is spontaneous while
at the same time very detailed, done through the exercise of graphic patience
and extrasensory inspiration. Josefa Tolra was a visionary
artist. She was illiterate, but she
wrote poetry and long texts in Spanish. This happened during her delusions and
transits, when she communicated with the “beings of light”, as she called them. (Eleonora)
