Hector Fernandez Lleida draws everyday motifs such as bottles, animals, and human activities by overlapping them with a wide range of scientific methods such as digital retouching and VR technology, and graffiti-like expressions using stencils, based on the traditional method of oil painting. In this exhibition, we will take a closer look at how he views the world, attempting to represent the reality of the world with his own unique perspective while incorporating such trends in today's flood of complicated images.
1.What inspired you to start creating art?
Since I was a child, I was always drawing, copying the illustrations that appeared in the comics that my father brought home, at school between the class notes there were always drawings, all my notebooks were decorated. My father was a prominent comic book author of the eighties and for me it was like having a private teacher at home. Then over time I decided to study Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. I specialized in Painting and soon after graduating I began to exhibit my paintings, initially in civic centers and local art galleries. Little by little I was maturing my technique and style were getting richer, incorporating new techniques and themes.
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2. Please tell us about the theme of your current work.
I am currently painting a 100x100cm canvas. , a still life. This work belongs to a series of bottle compositions that I have been developing over the years. The steep point of view, the rhythm generated by the placement of the bottles, the color and the texture are indispensable pieces in this work of art. I have used acrylic paint for the base and textures, using brushes and spatulas and now I continue to work with oil paint.
3. What are your influences and what do you consider to be the turning point for you?
My influences range from contemporary realism to abstraction, including street art and digital art. Much of my work is a combination of drawing and painting, but I used to start with a photographic image I had taken, sometimes digitally manipulated to change composition and color, or simply add or subtract elements. After prototyping, examining and developing that work in smaller sizes using drawings and water-based painting materials (watercolor, acrylic, ink, etc.), I would then create a final size painting. This creative process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the complexity of the piece. I am also in the process of incorporating elements and themes derived from VR, digital creation and retouching into my work, which I believe will be a turning point in my career. As for the use of VR technology, I am interested in ways to introduce my drawings and paintings into artificial environments. At the moment, I am a novice in this field, but I am aware that a new world is opening up for me. In fact, I have begun to create illustrations that mix traditional elements with digital art. I also plan to publish my own NFTs and digital prints in the near future.
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4.What do you mean by the coexistence of animal motifs with human and urban motifs?
I consider myself an urbanite, and my vision of nature, animals and the human figure is often immersed in an urban and contemporary context. Throughout my career as a painter, I have dealt with profound issues such as the passage of time and obsolescence in painting, but sometimes my work is less conceptual and more aesthetic in nature. I live in a city called Barcelona. Most of the motifs I paint come from wandering around and contemplating scenes and corners of the city that passersby would miss. We live in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. Today, more than ever, we are surrounded by images. And many of the images that surround us are also in motion. Many of us seldom take the time to contemplate, analyze, and understand these images.
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5. Finally, do you have any ideas for your next work that you would like to realize?
I always have a project in my mind. One of my next works has to do with "robots", a subject I am passionate about, have already dealt with and have recently sold a painting. I love genres like science fiction, robots, ancient and modern. Science Fiction books (Isaac Asimov, Stanislaw Lem, Arthur C. Clarke...) Movies (Star Wars, Blade Runner, Alien...) and comics (Richard Corben, Liberatore, Fernando Fernandez...) I grew up in an environment where robots were always present. I have drawn robots many times, sometimes using toy models, sometimes inventing designs. In my drawings of robots, I try to show the kind and friendly side of technology, which unfortunately is often cold and sterile. They are portraits of robots portrayed as humans.
Concept
Hector Fernandez has always been surrounded by pencils and paints. For him, drawing is a fundamental and important activity, and he comes from a family that specializes in artistic creation. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) from the University of Barcelona in 1994, he moved to the family studio, where he created his paintings. From 2000 to 2009, he was a member of the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, founded in Barcelona, Spain in 1893 by the great architect Antoni Gaudi and others, where he made in-depth studies of the human figure. After more than 40 solo and group exhibitions and several international awards, from 2009 to the present, Hector Fernandez has a studio-gallery in the heart of Barcelona where he continues his painting career and produces commissioned works. Hector Fernandez is an artist of his time and is diverse in terms of the subjects he deals with and the techniques he uses. Among his favorite subjects are the human figure, nudes, still life, animals, and landscapes, all of which are treated with a contemporary and urban vision. He uses acrylic paints, oil paints, and spray enamels on canvas, wood panels, and aluminum sheets to express his ideas. As an artist of the 21st century, Hector Fernandez has always been interested in technology applied to images. Digital retouching, 3D production, and VR are all applied to his artistic creations. His drawings and paintings can be found in museums and private art collections around the world.
Biographies
Hector Fernandez, Barcelona, 1969 Permanent exhibition at ARTicle, 2021. Barcelona Spain. 2010-2000. Partner of the Cercle Artistique de Sant Luc (Barcelona), a cultural organization founded in 1893 by world-renowned architect Antoni Gaudi and others. 2006-2003. Member of the Board of Directors of the Cercle Artistique de Sant Luc. 2021-1994. More than 40 solo exhibitions in art galleries in Spain, Europe and the United States. Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Barcelona in 1994. Notable art fairs 2013-2012 "Affordable Art Fair Milan", "Affordable Art Fair Brussels", "Affordable Art Fair London" Galerie Le Siants. 2000-1999-1996 "Artexpo Barcelona" Mar Gallery, Grup Escolà) Notable Awards 2021 Selected for the Biennial CASTRA. International Watercolor Society. Slovenia. 2005 First Prize IIIª Josep Amat International Drawing Biennial (Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, Spain). 2004 Isidre Noner Medal for Painting Cercle Artistique de Sant Luc, Barcelona, Spain. 1999 XLI Prize for Painting Jove Sala Parés (Barcelona, Spain). 1992 Miguel García Camacho First Prize for Painting (University of the Arts Barcelona, Spain). Current works Fundació Vila Cases (Pals, Girona), Grupo Sanahuja (Barcelona), Televisió Comtal, TV3 (appeared in various TV series), Benedick Tashen Collection (Köln, Germany), Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc (Barcelona), and in private art collections around the world.
The works introduced here are available at TRiCERA.
