PORTFOLIO

Inspired by nature, particularly wildernesses, my paintings reflect my experiences in these places.
Since 2016, I have migrated away from oil paints and turpentine, in favour of using egg tempera, with the aim of having a practice as environmentally neutral as possible, due to my personal concerns about the environment and freedom, in particular:
The impact of human activities on the Earth and its over-exploitation, resulting in widespread and increasing destruction of the environment and pollution. This directly threatens the very places that inspire me.
Moreover, mass human migrations and the refugee crisis, which have resulted in the creation of walls and barriers to stop the free movement of people and the containment of them in "provisional" refugee settlements with terrible human and natural costs.

To deal with this additional focus I have created what I call 'Dual Canvasses' in which extra-planar objects or barriers are added to the canvas, reflecting the physical and political barriers erected in response to these issues.

During my artistic career, my fascination with experimentation and the alchemy of materials has led me to use unusual materials like egg shells, coffee, burnt matter, wax, etc. Currently, I mostly use natural rock pigments which I collect and process in my native Colombia, and charcoal pigments for the earth inspired works. For the more ethereal works inspired by Antarctica, Iceland and the Arctic it was impossible to collect raw materials in-situ ethically or responsibly. After much experimentation, I have started using indigo dye, metal powders and their compounds reduced and oxidised through the application of chemical processes.