Antequera

The MAD in Antequera opens an exhibition by Cristina Vázquez on everyday happiness

"Eres feliz y no lo sabes" brings together twenty works by the painter in oil, acrylic and watercolour and can be visited in the museum's temporary galleries until January 24.

M. Marta L. · Published on October 3, 2026 at 17:04

The Museo de Arte de la Diputación de Málaga (MAD) in Antequera hosted on the afternoon of Friday, October 2 the opening of «Eres feliz y no lo sabes», an exhibition by the painter Cristina Vázquez. The show invites visitors to discover the happiness present in small everyday moments through scenes linked to summer, the sea and living together.

Twenty works until January

The exhibition brings together twenty pieces, made in oil, acrylic and watercolour, which can be visited in the temporary rooms of the MAD until January 24. The works show recognisable situations: conversations by the water, swims, walks along the shore and moments of rest that, as the artist herself explains, take on a special meaning as expressions of wellbeing. The beaches of Matalascañas, in Huelva, as well as other settings in Menorca and Lanzarote, inspire the compositions, in which light and colour play a leading role. The author acknowledges the influence of Sorolla and of photography, especially its ability to capture spontaneous moments.

Care between women, also a protagonist

The show also includes a series of watercolours featuring women who walk together along the beach, hold each other by the arm or help each other against the movement of the waves, with which the author highlights figures whose everyday presence, as she has pointed out, also deserves a place in art.

Speeches at the event

The event included speeches by the councillor for Culture of the Ayuntamiento de Antequera, José Medina Galeote; the provincial deputy for Culture, Manuel López Mestanza; and the artist herself. Also in attendance were the deputy mayor Alberto Arana and the councillor Paqui Sánchez, as well as the actress Ana Milán, a friend of the author. Medina Galeote welcomed the artist to Antequera and noted the presence of popular scenes full of light, the closeness of the water and the playful component of works that connect with the everyday. During his speech he cited references such as the scenes of the photographer Carlos Pérez Siquier, the overhead views of Juan Genovés or the so-called «estilo del relax», linked to architecture and Malaga's tourist modernity. For his part, López Mestanza highlighted Cristina Vázquez as one of the main representatives of Spanish neocostumbrismo, with a body of work that captures the everyday happiness associated with summer and the sea.

The artist's career

Cristina Vázquez was born in Cáceres in 1973, grew up in Andalusia and is based in Seville. She holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Universidad de Sevilla, specialising in Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art. Her career combines painting, restoration, artistic documentation and exhibition curating, to which she adds her fashion project «El Gabinete de las Maravillas».