Bernard Ruiz-Picasso shares his family's artistic legacy and cultural insights with IE University students

Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, grandson of the legendary artist Pablo Picasso, delivered a masterclass to over 60 students enrolled in the IE Impact Humanities program. This multidisciplinary program —designed to foster humanistic thinking among students from all academic backgrounds at IE University—, includes a course taught by Anna Wieck, Adjunct Professor at IE School of Humanities, who engaged in an in-depth conversation with Ruiz-Picasso during the session.

During the session, Ruiz-Picasso shared personal reflections on his family's artistic heritage, focusing on the life and work of his grandfather, Pablo Picasso—renowned for masterpieces such as Guernica, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, and The Weeping Woman—and his grandmother, Olga Khokhlova, a Russian ballet dancer who was forced into exile in 1919 following the collapse of the Russian Empire.

He also recounted the story behind the founding of the Museo Picasso Málaga. He highlighted the crucial collaboration between public institutions and private contributors, such as the Junta de Andalucía’s acquisition of the Palacio de Buenavista in 1997 and the donation of 233 artworks by Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso to the museum’s foundation.

Ruiz-Picasso emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary learning and public-private partnerships in shaping cultural and artistic projects. He illustrated this point with the ongoing work of the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso (FABA), which has supported over 215 contemporary art projects and 257 modern art initiatives in its two-decade history.

The session took place at IE University Segovia campus. It offered students a glimpse into the interplay of legacy, art, and cultural stewardship—core themes at the heart of the IE School of Humanities.