Javier Arizabalo
ARTIST
Biography
Life Events
Javier Arizabalo was born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, in 1965. He developed his talent alongside various artists from the Bidasoa region and at the Irun Academy of Drawing, before studying at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Leioa (1983-1988), where he graduated in Graphic Art.
From 1989 to 2004, he worked as a graphic designer and made inroads in computer-generated photography and imaging, as well as lecturing at the Irun Academy of Painting and Drawing from 1997 to 2001.
In 2006, he took up oil painting as an activity, working on photorealism and classical painting. Above all, his work showcases the human figure linked both to the concept of beauty and to the “reality” of specific people, with their evolution revealed in their imperfections or wrinkles.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 AMAIA Cultural Centre, Irun
2011 Extremadura Regional Government, Mérida
1989 La Pecera Gallery, Irun
JOINT EXHIBITIONS
2018
Artmundi Gallery, Paris; Two Art Gallery, Murcia.
2017
Artmundi Gallery, Paris; Exhibition “New Reality”, Emilio Varela Gallery, Alicante; “Toledo, Art without Borders” San Clemente Cultural Centre. Santana Art Gallery, Madrid.
2016
Artmundi Gallery, Paris; Exhibition “A Different Reality”, Ateneo de Madrid; Contemporary Mexican Art, Monterey (Mexico).
2015
Artmundi Gallery, Paris; San Sebastián Aquarium; Exhibition “A Different Reality”, La Vaguada Cultural Centre, Madrid.
2014
Artmundi Gallery, Paris; Mellado Gallery, San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid), Contemporary Mexican Art, Monterrey (Mexico), Perez & Ortiz Fine Art, Santiago de Chile.
2013
Archange Gallery, Paris; Mellado Gallery, San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid); Art Santa Fe, Gaudi Gallery, (United States).
2012
Archange Gallery Paris; Mellado Gallery, San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid); Art-Karlsruhe, Gaudi Gallery, Karlsruhe (Germany); ARTEANDO Fair, Gaudi Gallery, Irun; “Something More Than Realism VI”, Aragon Art Association; ST-ART 2012, Gaudi Gallery, Strasbourg (France).
2011
Archange Gallery, Paris; Mellado Gallery, San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid); Selected for the Autocugat Art Awards, Cloister of the Royal Monastery of Sant Cugat; ARTEANDO Fair in Irun; Alexander Gallery, Shanghai Art Fair; Gaudi Gallery, ARTi11, The Hague
2010
Archange Gallery, Paris; Gaudi Gallery, Madrid
2009
Archange Gallery, Paris; Puroarte Fair, Vigo; Glasgow Art Fair (Great Britain); Art Open Fair, Utrecht (Holland); “Something More Than Realism III”, Aragon Art Association, Colours Gallery, Edinburgh; “Something More Than Realism III”, Aragon Art Association
2008
Gaudi Gallery, Madrid; Archange Gallery, Paris; Kunstart08, Bolzano (Italy); Art Open Fair, Utrecht (Holland); DE-Fine Art, Atlanta (USA); Zantman Art Galleries, California (USA); David W. Streets Gallery, California (USA); Clave Gallery, Cordoba; “Something More Than Realism II”, Aragon Art Association, Zaragoza; Lineart 08, Ghent (Belgium)
2007
Archange Gallery, Paris; Art Pur & Fer Creations, Paris; Artz Art Fair, Zaragoza
1986
Exhibition Hall of the Municipal Savings Bank of San Sebastián
1985
Exhibition Hall of Portugalete Town Hall
WORK IN COLLECTIONS
Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, United States, France, Holland, India, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Turkey, Russia and Kuwait
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JAVIER ARIZABALO, Galerie Archange Éditions, 2008
ANUARIO ARTELIBRE, ARTE Y LIBERTAD IV y V, Editorial Comuniter, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
POETS AND ARTISTS, December 2010, Editor Didi Menendez
POST-MODERN TIMES, Volume 1, Number 1, Founding Editor Stephen Smith
JAVIER ARIZABALO GARCIA, Edited by Extremadura Regional Government, 2011
JAVIER ARIZABALO, Edited by Irun Town Hall, 2012
MASTERS OF PAINTING, Edited by Art Galaxie, 2017
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1996-1999
Lecturer in Painting at Irun Municipal Academy
2015
Workshop “The Human Body”, Roja Gallery, Seville
2016
Workshop “Portrait”, Roja Gallery, Seville; Workshop “Human Body, Light and Colour”, Arcilla Foundation, Madrid
2017
Workshop “The Detail”, Imart, Alicante
2018
Workshop at Craneo Creaciones, Seville; Workshop at Eskreativo, San Sebastián
2014
Honorary member of the Cofradía del Salmón, Irun
He graduated in Fine Arts from the University of the Basque Country in 1988, although it wasn’t until 2005 that he decided to make this his profession.
His work is focused on realism and the human figure, seen from a classical perspective. The models of his works are presented to be observed, calmly, lit to highlight their volumes. In his most recent works, the level of detail has increased, approaching what has been called hyperrealism.
He divides his production between exhibitions at select galleries and sales to private customers and collectors in America, Europe and Asia. He has held three individual exhibitions and taken part in numerous joint exhibitions, mainly in Spain.
His work is on show at the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, the prestigious Count Ibex Masterpieces Collection and at the Arcilla Foundation in Spain, which promotes figurative art.
He also holds international workshops, at which he conveys his experience and helps his students to improve their observation, analysis and execution.
