Teran

TERÁN (Chile, 1974).
"Picasso in love", 2025.
Steel and resin. Unique piece.
Signed on the inside of the sculpture "Love" and on the sole of Picasso's shoe.
Measurements: 91 x 90 x 40 cm; 43 x 23 x 27 x 27 cm (figure); 91 x 90 x 56 x 56 cm (total).
This work by Terán stands as a visual and conceptual synthesis between the legacy of modern art and pop art, articulating a dual homage to Pablo Picasso and Robert Indiana. In this piece, the artist reinterprets the iconic typography of the word "LOVE" conceived by Indiana in 1966, employing the same robust geometric volumes and the characteristic displacement of the letter "O" diagonally. The chromatic composition, red, white and blue, also alludes to pop aesthetics and to the palette frequently employed by Indiana, loaded with both formal and symbolic meanings.
In a deeply evocative gesture, Terán introduces a three-dimensional figure that breaks with typographic geometry: a monochromatic character that clearly refers to Pablo Picasso, depicted in a striped sailor shirt, brimmed hat and relaxed posture. This figure is strategically seated on the letter "V", embodying both the artist and the observer within the work, challenging the two-dimensionality of the text with the human, almost sculptural presence of the Spanish master. The choice of a grayscale finish contrasts with the liveliness of the typographic environment, establishing a dialogue between the artistic past and the plastic present.
From an academic perspective, the sculpture functions as an intersection between conceptual art and homage art, in which Terán not only formally quotes two icons of art history, but also proposes an artistic reflection on identity, visual language and the creative act.
A Chilean artist living in Spain, with a degree in Fine Arts, Manuel Terán has developed his creative work in the field of plastic arts and new technologies applied to art. Since he became known in 1995 at the Salón de Otoño del Círculo de Bellas Artes in Santiago de Chile, he has held solo exhibitions and participated in group shows and fairs in Latin America and Europe. He has received awards such as the Real Academia de San Carlos de Valencia (2004).