Pepe Pétalo - CEBRAS

Pepe Pétalo develops a personal imaginary of the artist, a territory where spontaneous drawing, intuitive gesture and memory transform into painting. The origin of his work dates back to adolescence, when he began drawing a cartoon figure with a big nose on the margins of his school notes, on napkins or in the textbooks. Those doodles, born almost as an unconscious act, have over time become the seed of an artistic language of his own.

Over 25 years Pepe Pétalo has developed his professional career in the Social Work of the now-defunct Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo, where in his last stage he was responsible for the Culture area and coordinator of the CAM Contemporary Art Collection, currently located in the Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA). From that position, he actively participated in the design and organization of numerous itinerant exhibitions throughout Spain, as well as in promoting emerging artists.

Throughout his professional career he has had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with prominent creators such as Carmen Calvo, Eduardo Arroyo, Cristina García Rodero and Cristina de Middel, the latter President of Magnum Photos (Princess of Asturias Award for Concord). That proximity to contemporary art from cultural management has enriched his view, although his pictorial proposal remains faithful to the freshness and authenticity of the original stroke.

Pepe Pétalo's painting does not seek solemnity or distance. On the contrary, it aims to be a lure for smiles, distraction and the reunion with that playful part that often dissolves in adult life. His cartoons and doodles, apparently simple, hide a reflection on identity, memory and the ability to create without fear of judgment.

“Universo Pétalo. Monigotes y garabatos” ultimately represents the public consolidation of an artistic universe that has accompanied the author since his youth and that now unfolds with maturity, coherence and a clear vocation to connect with the viewer from direct emotion, complicity... and why not... humor.

"Cebras"
In this painting, two zebras burst in with untamed energy, captured in motion and dialogue. Their bodies, drawn in black and white, represent the strength, freedom and wild spirit of nature. Around them, a universe of red doodles unfolds like a current of imagination, rhythm and emotion. Each line seems to come to life, creating a vibrant contrast between the order of the stripes and the creative chaos of the background. Pepe Pétalo's language turns the scene into a fantastic territory, where animal and drawing merge. It is a dynamic and powerful work that celebrates spontaneity, rebellion and the beauty of creating without limits.

The marked dimensions of the work are those of the painting once stretched and mounted on the frame. The actual measurements of the canvas are larger to be able to execute its mounting.

The work comes without a frame (professional packaging, rolled in a tube). It is delivered with an authenticity certificate.

You can follow my work on Instagram
@pepepetalo