"I don't choose my characters... in some way they choose me." — August Vilella
The recent subject of a solo show at JPS Gallery in Hong Kong titled Autumn Dreams (2021), Spanish artist August Vilella’s mystical, dreamlike oil paintings present an intriguing juxtaposition between the classical and the current. Housed within an ornate gold artist’s frame, Memories perfectly showcases the artist’s technical virtuosity. Composed of thin, layered brushstrokes that intensify the ochre-toned background through highlight and shadow, the artist’s technique very much aligns to that of the Old Masters. At the same time, however, Vilella’s signature cartoonish subject is distinctly contemporary, guiding the audience to dive deeper into their subconscious through their reflective gaze.
In addition to his solo show at Artplus Shanghai Gallery in 2020 where Memories exhibited, Vilella’s work has been presented throughout the world, in cities such as Tokyo (2021); Shanghai (2021); Los Angeles (2020); and Taiwan (2019).