Salustian

"SALUSTIANO"; SALUSTIANO GARCÍA CRUZ (Villaverde del Río, Seville, 1965). “June Black.” Diptych.
Pigment ink on laid paper. Edition 42/50.
Signed and numbered in pencil.
Measurements: 14.5 x 14 cm (x2); 31 x 31 cm (frames, x2).
This diptych consists of two symmetrical portraits featuring a young woman depicted with a refined, clean, and rigorously controlled aesthetic. Her image is set within a circular background that isolates her from the surrounding space, thereby reinforcing her status as an icon and directing all attention toward the figure—a compositional device that recurs in Salustiano’s artistic language. In this context, June should not be understood as an individualized character, but rather as an archetype that the artist uses repeatedly and that represents values such as youth, purity, and serenity, constructing an image of timeless beauty that transcends the biographical to occupy a more conceptual plane. The diptych structure also introduces a play of repetition and variation that underscores the idea of duality.
Trained at the University of Seville and specializing in painting and fine arts, Salustiano has participated in numerous exhibitions both internationally and nationally, notably at the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles, the Luma Museum in Chicago, and the Vostell-Malpartida Museum in Cáceres. In the realm of international art fairs, he has participated in Art Cologne, the Armory Show in New York, Art Miami, the Moscow International Art Fair in Moscow, the Toronto International Art Fair, ARCO, the DIVA Art Fair in New York, the KIAF International Art Fair in Seoul, MODERN in Munich, ART FORUM in Berlin, and the SCOPE Art Fair in Miami and London, among others. Furthermore, Salustiano’s work has been featured on the covers of magazines and specialized publications, such as *Arte Al Límite*, *Artery Berlin*, *MU Magazine*, and the cultural weekly supplement of the national newspaper *ABC*. Salustiano has collaborated on projects with various internationally renowned charitable institutions, such as the Dalai Lama Foundation, the World Bank for Microcredit founded by Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize laureate), and the Cisneros Foundation. Currently, celebrities such as Sharon Stone own works by Salustiano in their art collections.