In 1915, he is drafted into the military, but thanks to his father he only has to serve 10 months. He meets Francis Picabia and with him the Dadaist movement in 1917. His art is mainly influenced by the Fauves and the French Cubists. In 1918, he has his first exhibition in Barcelona and Miró founds together with some artists the group Courbet. One year later he moves to Paris, where he meets important contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Hans Arp, Henry Miller, and Ernest Hemingway. His first Parisian solo exhibition takes place in 1921. The artist joins the Parisian Surrealist group, but remains an outsider. In 1926, he works together with Max Ernst on the stage design and costumes of the Ballets Russes, which leads to protests of the surrealist group.

When he moves into a new studio in 1927 he becomes a neighbour of artists like Hans Arp, Max Ernst and René Magritte and meets important sculptors like Alberto Giacometti and Alexander Calder. From 1932 he is under contract with the art dealer Pierre Matisse in New York. In 1940, Miró leaves France after the invasion of German troops and returns to Spain. During this time, he created ceramic and bronze works of art. Miró receives commissions from the Spanish Republican Government and the UNESCO, among others. These commissions lead to large public works. His art is first exhibited in Germany in 1954. He receives many awards and prizes during his career. In 1975 and 1981 foundations are established in Mallorca and Barcelona.