Autoretrato Painting

BIO: Bastian Arriagada Santana (35 years) was born in southern Chile, in the city of Concepción, where the connection with nature was essential for learning to appreciate the beauty of things. During his adolescence, paragliding and climbing occupied much of his life for over 7 years. These extreme experiences, where the body and mind surrender to the landscape, taught him to perceive space, movement, and freedom in unique ways. These experiences are translated into his pictorial work, capturing that same sense of fluidity and expansion. Each brushstroke becomes an echo of the wind and verticality, exploring the connection between human gesture and the vastness of nature. Seeking to explore new forms of expression, at the age of 22, he traveled to Santiago to study theater, where he spent 3 years connecting and discovering a new world. Upon completing his acting career, he naturally entered the pictorial realm, taking influences from artists like Jackson Pollock and Gerhard Richter, among others dedicated to expression in its fullest naturality. He has had the opportunity to live in more than 9 countries around the world, where each experience and new culture floods him with inspiration and wisdom that he translates into his works. His goal is to create vibrant pieces that provoke a profound emotional impact through color and gesture. With a career spanning 9 years, he has exhibited in art galleries in Chile, The United States, Spain, Sweden, and Thailand. His presence extends to more than 20 countries around the world, where he seeks to share not only his works but also the stories and emotions that each one evokes. STATEMENT: At the point where gesture harmonizes with visual and experiential vibration, Santana releases his instinctive notion in search of the immaterial. Like dancing through the mundane, he throws himself toward the canvas, untying the bonds of convention, and turns his attention to the abstract expressionist legacy that fills his lungs with air and propels his hands into action. A tide of color emerges, bringing with it an uncontrollable and decisive torrent. Unexpectedly, the paint either blooms or flows along a path that fate cannot restrain. As the walls of representation fall, reality is bathed in a latent, sharp sensitivity, embarking on a journey into the subconscious. What unfolds before the viewer's eyes is the most honest manifestation of life spilling forth.