I like Joan Cortés because he is an artist who doesn't need to speak loudly to be heard. At a time when art often seems to compete for attention at any cost, he continues to work with discretion, with an honesty that is not a strategy or a pose, but a way of being. Those who know him know that the man and the artist share attributes such as serenity, coherence, neatness, and fidelity to what he believes in.