Demo, Eladio de Mora

dEmo"; ELADIO DE MORA (1960, Toledo).
"Car", 2006.
Fibreglass and resin.
Signed and dated on the lower back.
It has small nicks and a knock on the back.
Measurements: 98 x 39 x 51 cm.
Eladio de Mora is one of the great representatives of Spanish contemporary art. Eladio de Mora discovered his artistic vocation as a child. A fundamentally self-taught artist, he develops a work that could be placed halfway between pop and expressionism. His creations are characterised by simplified features and pure colours, and are made in materials such as plastic, polyester and some resins. Under the almost childish appearance of his works, sometimes critical meanings are hidden; he confesses to seeking a balance between rigour and a smile in his works. Some of his best known pieces are his series of bears, ducks, divers and meninas. In fact, his sculptures are often grouped in families, so that the repetition intensifies the impact. Also, most of his sculptures are placed outdoors, as Mora seeks above all a direct relationship with the public. He began to make himself known through group exhibitions at the beginning of the 21st century, and in 2002 he held his first solo exhibitions, both in Spain (Azteca and Séller galleries in Madrid, Espacio Líquido in Gijón) and abroad (Heyd gallery in Hildritzhausen, Germany). Since then he has been a constant presence on the art scene, continuing to exhibit individually, and also taking part in art fairs and group shows. In recent years he has shown his work in personal exhibitions held in prominent Spanish and foreign art galleries and centres, including the Jorge Ontiveros Gallery in Madrid, the Drissien Gallery in Munich, the Florencio de la Fuente Museum in Valencia, the Contemporary Art Museum in Malaga, the Juan Ismael Art Centre in Madrid and the Juan Ismael Art Centre in Madrid, the Centro de Arte Juan Ismael in Fuerteventura, the Espacio para el Arte Caja Madrid, the Hotel Urban and the Centro de Arte Moderno also in Madrid, the IVAM in Valencia, the Museo MACAY in Mexico, the gallery Los Oficios and the Museo de Bellas Artes in Havana, the Museo Arterra in Vienna and the Fundación Antonio Pérez in Cuenca. He has also participated in important group exhibitions in Spain, Mexico, Italy, Portugal and Germany. It is also worth mentioning Mora's important work as a designer of trophies, among them the "Women Together" in New York, the "Master Senior Comunidad de Madrid" or the "Protagonistas del motor de El Mundo". Throughout his career he has received the "Getafe Ciudad de las Artes" (Madrid, 2005) and "Aura" (Toledo, 2007) awards, and has created monuments and installations in Madrid, Logroño, Havana, Vienna, Gijón, Málaga and Valencia, among other cities. Mora is currently represented in the IVAM in Valencia, the Arterra Museum in Vienna, the Domus Artium Museum of Contemporary Art in Salamanca, the Museum of Glass Art in Alcorcón, the Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, the Museum of Graphic Work of San Clemente in Cuenca, the Antonio Pérez Foundation, the Antonio Saura Foundation, the Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola Foundation, Antonio Saura and Coca-Cola Foundations, the Provincial Councils of Cuenca and Guadalajara, several town councils in Madrid and Toledo, the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Community of Madrid, and the Contemporary Art Collection of "El Mundo", among many other public and private collections.