Mr. Jorge Portuondo Wakonigg has successfully taken the next step, and created a world of his own

By Sonia Tita Puopolo
Photography by Diego Portuondo

The recent opening of JPW Art and Antiques gallery in Madrid, was a great success according to art lovers and antique collectors through-out Europe.

After almost forty years as a conventional antique dealer, Mr. Jorge Portuondo Wakonigg has successfully taken the next step, creating a world of his own, in which antique treasures largely from the 17th and 18th centuries coexist in perfect harmony with contemporary photography and avant garde works of art. This eclectic cocktail of different styles and periods gives viewers a wonderful example of what can happen when someone with refined taste also possesses an uncanny ability to pair great works. The gallery simply screams elegance.

Upon entering the gallery, you’ll feel your senses awakened just by the contrast between its palatial furniture, antique “objects d’art” and the very hip and contemporary architecture of its sublime interior. At a time when antiques are regarded by some as outdated, Portuondo creates a youthful and timeless atmosphere — all through the power of his fabulous decor. Each piece has been chosen and placed very carefully, and only after large amounts of time spent traveling and ‘hunting’ each selection all over the continent.

This new approach to antiques and decorating has not only attracted the usual collectors, but also a young, hip crowd which can begin to understand the uniqueness of an 18th-century piece of furniture when placed in a contemporary setting. Portuondo, never abandoning his philosophy of presenting decor with symmetry and classical proportion, has created a Mecca for art and antique lovers the world over. Portuondo will continue to exhibit contemporary and avant-garde works as a way of helping to promote and embrace artistic movements such as Cubism, Constructivism, and Surrealism. All objects in JPW Art and Antiques are displayed in a way that replicates the home, allowing the viewer to envision the desired piece in his or her own abode. When in Madrid, visit JPW Art and Antiques gallery at Calle Castello 85, and you are sure to experience a feast for the eyes!