Raúl de la Torre Spanish, b. 1974

Born in Barcelona, Raúl was steeped in the cultural and artistic traditions of the great Catalan artists from a young age. Influenced by Joan Miró’s passionate cry, “I want to assassinate painting!,” Raúl turned to unconventional techniques and materials in the creation of his art. A painter and creator of forms, Raúl counters the aggressive act of cutting open his painted canvases by repairing them with delicate embroidery. Inspired by poetry and music, his colorful, elaborate artworks fool the eye, and are a pleasure to behold.

De la Torre studied at the Escola Massana in Barcelona which is renowned for its symbiotic, inter-disciplinary curriculum marrying both art and design. After his studies, Raul spent time working in the studio of Antoni Tapies, who’s pintura materica method of incorporating non-artistic materials into his paintings is now considered an important contribution to modern art.

Raúl later moved to London, then New York and has now settled in Los Angeles. He is a member of the LACMA Arts Council and is actively involved in the burgeoning LA art scene. “I have chosen a unique route to enrich my paintings with texture – embroidery. Just as a poet builds his words to form metaphor or meaning, I build texture through embroidery to form depth and character. I choose the colors I wish to incorporate in the palette of the work I’m embarking upon. To me, the colors represent people, moments or feelings.”