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VALDIF
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Work: BOABDIL, LAST MUSLIM KING OF GRANADA
Technique: Ceramic reliefs with ceramic glazes, 2 firings at 1050°
Measurements: 120 x 150 x 8 cm
Year of creation: 2020
Synopsis: After a psychic channeling, the author receives a brief message from someone who claims to be Boabdil: "I did not cry for Granada. I preserved the life of my people." (There is a popular phrase already proven to be probably false,) in which it is said that his mother, upon leaving Granada after the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs, told him: "Do not cry like a woman, what you have not known how to defend like a man."
Boabdil was presented, not with his supposed historical features, but as a luminous being, speaking from another plane. The author himself was surprised that, while intending to give him a darker complexion in the ceramic glazes, the kiln resulted in much lighter tones than planned.
Royal Name and Reign
Boabdil is the name by which Muhammad XII (or Abu Abd Allah Muhammad XII), the last Nasrid sultan of the Kingdom of Granada, is known in Christian historiography.
He ruled in two periods: first between 1482 and 1483, and then from 1487 until January 2, 1492, when Granada surrendered.
The Context of the Reconquista
Until the end of the 15th century, the Christian kingdoms of the northern Iberian Peninsula (mainly Castile and Aragon) had been expanding southward, recovering territories that had been under Muslim control since the 8th century. Granada was the last Nasrid stronghold on the peninsula.
In 1481, a more direct conflict began between Granada and the Catholic Monarchs after the capture of Zahara. Despite episodes of battle and truce, the Catholic Monarchs (Isabel I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon) ultimately carried out a decisive military campaign.
The Surrender of Granada, January 2, 1492
The culminating moment was when Boabdil handed over the keys of the city of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs. This is the scene depicted in many artistic and historical works.
As part of the capitulations, he was granted certain revenues and minor territories, for his life and that of his descendants, although the extent to which these concessions were actually fulfilled is disputed.
Exile
After the surrender, Boabdil retreated to smaller territories within what remained of the Nasrid kingdom (the Alpujarras), but was soon forced to leave for North Africa, specifically Fez, where he died.
Popular Legends
From this period dates the famous phrase attributed to his mother Aixa when she saw Boabdil weeping as he left Granada: "Cry like a woman for what you could not defend like a man." Although not all historians are certain that this phrase was uttered exactly like that.
University of Cambridge
Also the idea of the "Moor's sigh," the spot from which Boabdil is said to have turned back to contemplate Granada for the last time before leaving for exile.
Biography
Miguel F. Valdivieso — VALDIF
Painter, muralist and ceramicist
Born in Granada, Spain, 1952 — Self-taught
Miguel F. Valdivieso, artistically known as VALDIF, is a multidisciplinary creator whose work encompasses painting, murals, ceramics, and hybrid works combining relief and painting. With a career spanning over four decades, he has developed his own techniques and has exhibited widely both in Spain and internationally. His work is characterized by constant innovation and versatility, moving fluidly between decorative art, abstraction, surrealism, and symbolic explorations.
Artistic Development
- 1980s–1990s — Marble sand murals: Around 1980, he developed a personal technique using marble sands, producing murals and large decorative works. 1992 — Ceramic workshop: He opened his own ceramic studio, which became a turning point in his career, enabling him to create friezes and large-format ceramic pieces.
1992–2011 — Oriental and Arabic-inspired friezes: He produced a long series of works inspired by Andalusian and oriental decorative traditions, evolving them into new geometrical and contemporary expressions. From 2009 — “Sculpto-paintings”: He introduced hybrid works fusing ceramic reliefs (glazed and fired) with traditional painted backgrounds, bridging the boundaries between sculpture and painting.
Themes & Style
His works explore geometry, minerals, organic matter, esoteric and symbolic imagery, often combined with a strong decorative element that adapts well to architectural and mural formats. Some series also reflect his personal research into “psychic channeling” as part of the creative process.
Exhibitions & Projects
- First solo exhibition: Centro Artístico de Granada, 1975. Since then, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, and participated in international art fairs.
- He has received commissions for murals and large-scale decorative projects in hotels, halls, and buildings both in Spain and abroad, including projects in the Middle East and India.
- Awards & Recognition
- Fondazione Costanza Award, Madrid, 2019 Leonardo da Vinci Award, Florence, 2020.
Presence
VALDIF’s works are featured in international platform such as Projects Luxury MT Andorra , and his career has been documented in specialized art magazines, catalogs, and interviews.