Daniel Calatayud

DANIEL CALATAYUD (Valencia, 1973).
“Fragments of the Same Being.”
Oil on canvas.
Certificate of authenticity included.
Measurements: 70 x 70 cm.

The duality of identity forms the conceptual core of this work, in which Daniel Calatayud uses the figure of the clown to explore the many facets of human expression. Two figures with fragmented faces engage in a silent dialogue, establishing a play of correspondences and hallmarks that suggests both otherness and the splitting of a single individual. The composition is built using geometric planes of intense colors, where reds, yellows, and blues alternate with areas of cooler tones. The Cubist-inspired formal decomposition of the faces coexists with an aesthetic that evokes both the circus and contemporary art. Particularly expressive is the treatment of the characters’ gazes, which introduces a psychological dimension beneath their festive appearance, inviting reflection on the distance between identity and its representation.

Daniel Calatayud began his artistic training at the Artemis Art Academy, supplementing it with university studies in art theory, art history, and artistic techniques. He later earned a master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (2013–2014). A member of the La Aldaba group until 2005, he has built a career centered on figurative painting, participating in exhibitions and competitions since the late 1990s. Notable among her activities are her solo exhibition at the Le Grand Exhibition Center (2005), her participation in the international exhibition *We Have a Dream* in Marbella (2021), and her participation in an international art fair in Paris that same year.