Born in Barcelona in 1913, at the age of 13 Antoni Clavé began working in a textile shop while attending evening classes at the School of Arts and Crafts “Llotja” (a school also attended by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró). During the Spanish Civil War, Clavé was commissioned to design posters for the Republican government, although he eventually fled to France.

At the beginning of his career, he was influenced by artists such as Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, and in the 1940s he met and became friends with Picasso, an encounter that altered the course of his work.

Clavé is now best known for his collage-like paintings, often constructed with pieces of newspapers and other printed materials, as well as for his sculptures, which frequently incorporate found objects. Clavé was also a prolific stage designer for ballet and opera, and was nominated for two Academy Awards—Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design—for his work on the 1952 film Hans Christian Andersen. His work can be found in collections such as the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and Tate London, among other institutions.