André Rios - The Unseen Boundary

Photography and Hyper-Realistic Pastel Drawing

"The Unseen Boundary" is part of a new artistic direction I am currently exploring, combining photography with hyper-realistic pastel drawing. The left half of the artwork is a photograph, while the right half is meticulously recreated by hand using pastel pencils. By bringing these two mediums together, I invite the viewer to explore the subtle boundary between reality and artistic interpretation.

I am a Portuguese award-winning artist based in the Netherlands, specialising in hyper-realistic pastel art. My work has received international recognition, including being selected as a finalist for the prestigious Wildlife Artist of the Year competition in both 2024 and 2026. My artworks have also been featured in international art publications, including magazine covers.

In recent years, I have become particularly recognised for my realistic pastel drawings of frogs, a subject that has brought me significant recognition through exhibitions, competitions, and publications.

Wildlife has always been an important part of my artistic practice, especially the small, often overlooked creatures that surround us. Frogs, with their fascinating colours, intricate textures, and quiet presence, have become recurring subjects in my work.

Through my art, I aim to reveal the extraordinary beauty hidden in seemingly ordinary moments, encouraging viewers to slow down, look closer, and appreciate the details of nature that so often go unnoticed.

"The Unseen Boundary" brings this fascination into a new visual language, exploring not only the beauty of wildlife but also the relationship between what we see, what we capture, and what we recreate by hand.