La Martita
Alejo Palacios
“Nature is a place where to be at ease and connect with
the simplest things in life.
To me, happiness blooms when I walk among the olive
trees, climb the mountain and contemplate the horizon, when
I can breathe in the scent of a rosemary tree or put on a vase of
seasonal flowers I find on a morning stroll.
My work is influenced by materials and processes, on
many occasions I reflect the intersection of volumes, or textures that speak of rough surfaces such as an old wood. I can interpret solid, dense pieces. Or on the contrary, represent transparencies and lightness.
I use colors that for me represent raw and strong ideas, as
well as modest and humble ones.
The act of spontaneity seems to me something wonderful, and it is where I feel the most free, starting a piece without
knowing where it will lead me.
I work building and discovering new paths. With enthusiasm and hope, never giving up.’’
ENFILADO LINEAL 011
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
135 x 127 cm (framed)
126 x 119 cm (unframed)
FIRULETES 01
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
135 x 127 cm (framed)
127 x 121 cm (unframed)
ENFILADO CIRCULAR 21
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
135 x 127 cm (framed)
128 x 121 cm (unframed)
CURVADOS 011
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
122 x 132 cm (framed)
116 x 124 cm (unframed)
His works catch the eye of the beholder.
Alejo Palacios (Argentina, 1989) began his research by exploring on paper and Chinese ink. This simplicity and austerity of the elements with which he works can only give his work an absolute strength and honesty.
A richness of textures and organic shapes make their way as they interact with the paper. Generating through painting different materialities: from wood, metals and even fabrics. A work with a clear intention: “To speak of pure and simple ideas through materials” and therein lies the beauty of his work, because despite its simplicity it manages to be solid and endowed with personality. It is the craftsmanship of his work that moves us, that brings us back to our origins, to what we really are.
ENTRAMADO 036
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
106 x 106,5 cm (framed)
100 x 102 cm (unframed)
ENCUADRADO 01
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
127 x 117,5 cm (framed)
120 x 112 cm (unframed)
ENCUADRADO 02
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
127 x 117,5 cm (framed)
120 x 112 cm (unframed)
ENCUADRADO 03
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
127 x 117,5 cm (framed)
120 x 112 cm (unframed)
The artist at his estudio, La Martita, named after his mother, in the catalan countryside.
ENTRECRUCE 018
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
51,5 x 44 cm (framed)
47 x 40 cm (unframed)
CRUVO 05
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
51,5 x 44 cm (framed)
47 x 40 cm (unframed)
ENTRECRUCE 040
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
51,5 x 44 cm (framed)
47 x 40 cm (unframed)
ENFILADO CIRCULAR 23
2023. Acrylic on handmade paper.
51,5 x 44 cm (framed)
47 x 40 cm (unframed)
The origin of any creation is born long before the act of creation itself.
I am excited to immerse myself in the manufacturing processes of the materials I work with.
In many cases I got them from cooperatives or individuals who work with paper production using techniques that have been passed down from ge-
neration to generation. All to give value and celebrate the work of the arts and crafts.
The traditional processes have such a clear and beautiful message that you just have to work with simple ideas to make them stand out.
I see myself as a craftsman, in a simple and noble way which has a lot to do with contemplating every step I take.
I constantly allow myself to be influenced by materials and processes, which are then projected – sometimes explicitly and sometimes more abstractly
- into the representation of a material, such as a fabric, or the intersection
of woods.
To achieve different lines and densities, I use brushes of different coats and types to trace. Sometimes I work with several passes to achieve fullness,
and on other occasions I try to work with thin strokes to achieve transparencies. My aim is to constantly keep on exploring new working tools from
different regions of the world with the desire to document and
promote an almost forgotten craft
Alejo assembles the structure he has created to showcase the quality of handmade paper through an installation.