Barcelona-based newcomer Guim Tió Zarraluki takes an elegant swipe at contemporary standards of beauty with his original, thought provoking portraits. Fashion models, Facebook friends or family members undergo visual surgery at the tip of his brush, emerging with bug-like eyes, exaggerated noses, elongated necks and bold colours.
Tió Zarraluki studied a BFA in his home city of Barcelona and held his first solo show there in 2011. “Retouching” the glossy pages of fashion publications using oils pastels, solvents and acrylics, he creates hugely expressive new characters. Recently, the artist has begun painting directly onto canvas or wood, and his intriguing portraits have also found their way onto billboards and wall murals.
Specialist magazines such as Juxtapoz have featured Tió Zarraluki’s paintings, which have been exhibited in Spain, Italy, USA, Jordan and Australia. It is in Taiwan, however, that the artist has been most warmly received, with sell-out shows and a growing number of fans.
