PAINTER. MADRID. SPAIN
HIS NAME IS ARMANDO MESÍAS. HE WORKS IN VISUAL ART, FOCUSING ON ABSTRACT PAINTING AND DRAWING. BORN IN CALI, COLOMBIA, HE HAS LIVED IN BOGOTÁ, LONDON, AND BARCELONA. HE’S NOW BASED IN MADRID. HE BELIEVES THAT ART SERVES TO EXPLORE A PERPETUALLY EPHEMERAL ESSENCE OF BEING, AND THE INFLUENCE THAT MEMORY, CONTEXT, AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME HAVE ON ITS MANIFESTATION. STARRING @ARMANDOMESIAS WWW.ARMANDOMESIAS.COM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA SWARZ @ANDREASWARZ
“Tell us your story, how did you come to painting?“
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. What started as playful exploration later became technical and aesthetic curiosity. Eventually, it evolved into a viable career path and sort of came around full circle to become a means of exploration in terms of materials, topics and ideas. I studied Industrial Design for my undergraduate degree, working for over a decade as an art director and illustrator, before going on to do my MA in London and then classical training in drawing and painting at the Barcelona Academy of Art for 5 years. All of that sort of comes together in my work right now.
“How would you define your current painting?“
Although it is mostly abstract, I emphasise the use of line drawing and typography to create a more cryptic impression, which may give rise to more questions for the viewer. I work mostly in large format, and rely heavily on the use of non-traditional materials (household solvents and paint, coffee, dirt, vegetable oil, found fabrics, etc.) and the natural decay of materials and marks created in the studio environment.
“Tell us about your style and technique. Any secret that can be told?“
I try to create a state of flow or automatic action in which conscious decision-making fades to a minimum, and I’m able to come up with unexpected steps of the process and outcomes. It takes a lot of work and awareness to actually reach that point. I’ve discovered that podcasts, audiobooks or studio visits work very well in order to keep that conscious part distracted and let the unconscious mind get to work.
“How do you usually start your paintings? With a sketch, a draft or is it just an improvisation?“
I very rarely do any sketches. I like to have starting points, but no discernible end goal. That becomes clear during the process, and changes constantly. I usually drop the fabric on the studio floor and wait until something interesting happens while I’m working on something else. I try to take it from there.
“What are your motivation forces? And the artists who have been and are an influence for you?“
That’s always a hard question to answer, as influences and inspiration come and go constantly. I think most of what remains intact for me is the influence of abstract expressionism, pop art and visual culture in general, minimalism, romanticism, philosophy and graphic design. I feel like it’s really important to keep these influences flowing and I try to be very mindful of what they mean. I also try to keep a dialogue with my process over the years and incorporate elements from past stages of my work and life.
“What can you tell us about your studio, what kind of place is it?“
I always envisioned my studio as a place to hang out, to get work done, but also just to get comfortable being bored. A lot of what I could call inspiration comes from boredom. Just sitting around exploring materials and techniques without any particular goal.
I really like to have people over for a coffee or a drink or to chat and listen to music. I see it as a part of my work itself, a journal for ideas, marks and experiences. I feel, as time passes, it gets more and more loaded with memories and moments that enrich the work.
“What’s Art for you?“
I see art as a tool of communication for everything that language and logic fall short of.
Piece with Artist Magazine. JANUary 2026. © www.piecewithartist.com
www.armandomesias.com
@armandomesias
