José María Illana

JOSÉ MARÍA ILLANA (Seville, 1979).
"Bdm 8".
Acrylics on cotton canvas.
Signed.
Certificate of authenticity attached.
Measurements: 80 x 60 x 2'5 cm.

From his earliest childhood, José María Illana has been captivated by the spell of his hometown, Seville, whose influence has exquisitely shaped his particular vision of life. Raised in the Triana neighborhood with the Guadalquivir as a backdrop, this memorable setting has left a palpable mark on the outcome of his works. From a very early age, his grandfather, who owned a stationery-bookstore, invited and encouraged him to paint by giving him gifts of materials from his store, this encouragement being the origin of his passion. Although he has always been attracted to all forms of art in general, getting to try and practice many of them, there is no doubt that it has been oil painting that has managed to catch him in the last 20 years. His talent has been developed in an autonomous way, starting from a meticulous observation of nature and reality to capture them in his works in an unmistakably personal way, usually delving into a line adjacent to surrealism with psychedelic and humorous touches that takes us to imaginary worlds of abstract thoughts and improbable figures with impossible perspectives rescued from their deepest realities. Even though his career as a painter is long, he maintains the firm intention to continue experimenting and learning with the same determination of his beginnings. Until now, he had remained a little apart from the public artistic life, exhibiting in some central bar of the Andalusian capital and sporadically selling his paintings directly to individuals. In them, the author has preserved his chosen anonymity by signing them only with a mysterious and sympathetic icon "hidden" in some corner of the canvas and whose meaning is unknown. Fortunately, today, the original artist has decided to show his name and make his creations known.