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2021 Oil on fabric 140 x 101 cm | 55.1 x 39.8 in.
USD 10,000
Costa Rican artist Adrián Arguedas paints a figure grasping a sizeable cluster of bright yellow giraffe balloons.
He captures the luminosity and texture of the balloons as they take up the breadth of the canvas. The composition, balanced and deliberate, draws the viewer’s gaze towards the central figure, evoking a sense of curiosity about their identity. Through subtle brushwork and nuanced colour choices, Arguedas imbues the painting with a sense of whimsy and playfulness, inviting interpretation and engagement.
This piece exemplifies Arguedas’s skill in capturing moments of everyday life with sensitivity and depth, as well as his affinity for recontextualising commonplace imagery in unexpected scenarios. Growing up in Barva de Heredia near San José, Arguedas has always been influenced by the town’s famous mask parades. His figurative work, such as this painting, embraces the spirit of masquerade even if masks are not depicted as he explores the various guises people adopt. Always referencing popular culture, his work presents masks as archetypes, offering a lens through which to view our multifaceted human experience.
Even when Arguedas is not painting literal masks, he captures the way individuals project their identities, affirming that even “your face is a mask”.
Costa Rican artists, such as Arguedas offer a glimpse into a unique perspective on the world. Many other Costa Rican artists deeply respect Arguedas as he is a renowned teacher at the University of Costa Rica in San José.
Shipping: This artwork will be rolled for shipment.
Above USD 5,000
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Orange, Red, white, Yellow
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