ADRIÁN MARMOLEJO CLARHED PORTFOLIO 2018 1
‘I’m trying to go the whole whay long, no shortcuts’
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Adrián Marmolejo Clarhed (1989) Biography
Most important awards
Adrián starts drawing and painting at 7, as a pupil of the Belgian painter Annette Deletaille, who taught him strong bases on perspective and composition that he tries to apply in every work. She also transmitted to him the importance of painting directly from the surrounding environment, capturing the feeling and mood of every moment with strength and spontaneity.
-Selected by RWS (Royal Watercolor Society) for the Contemporary watercolor Contest 2019. Bankside Gallery (London). -3rd Price in the International painting contest Emasagra ‘Water Lansdscapes’ (Granada) , 2018. -Adquisition Price in the XVII International painting contest ‘Virgen de las VIñas’, Tomelloso (Ciudad Real), 2018. -3rd Price plain-air painting contest ‘Picasso Museum’ (Málaga), 2018. -2nd Price XVIII plain-air painting contest ‘Ciudad de Vera’(Almería), 2018. -3rd Price plain-air painting contest ‘Fundación Caja Rural de Granada’ (Granada), 2018. -2nd Price plain-air painting contest ‘Baeza Patrimonio de la Humanidad’ (Jaén), 2018. -1st Special Watercolor Price plain-air painting contest ‘La Zubia’ (Granada). -1st Price painting contest BBVA veterans, memorial Conchi Mendoza (Málaga), 2017.
He has been part of the group ‘Los jóvenes pintores de Coín’, doing his first solo exhibition when he was 16 in Coín (Malaga), graduating later as an architect in 2016 and specialising later with a masters on ‘Investigation and Production of Art’. Nowadays, he combines exhibitions, painting contests and workshops, with a number close to 20 exhibitions counting individual and group shows. His work is normally figurative, going through a great variety of techniques: starting with pastels, then oils and acrylics and discovering watercolour later on, technique that takes the most out of his personality, since everything is visible and there is no comeback. In watercolor, he gives more importance to tone than to colour, since the unity of all elements is vital in a scene. His painting could be catalogued as ‘new figuration’, classical structural basis with contemporary touches.
Solo shows -Jan-Feb 2019. Solo show ’Urban Vibrations” in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Azur Gallery, Jaén. -July-Sept 2019. Solo show ‘Between land and sea’ in hotel ‘El Fuerte’, Marbella (Málaga). -June 2018. Solo show ‘Everything is light and shadow’ in ‘Centro Artístico, Literario y Científico’ (Granada). -Dec 2017-Feb 2018. Solo show ‘(Re)lived landscapes’ in ‘Convento de Santa María de la Encarnación’, Coín (Málaga). -May-July 2017. Solo show ‘Leuven from my sight’ in art space Tabloo, Leuven (Belgium). -March-May 2017. Solo show “North and south waters” in ‘Fali Peluquero’ (Málaga). -2007. Solo show in ‘Casa de la Cultura Blas Infante’, Coín (Málaga). -2005. Solo show in ‘Casa de la Cultura Blas Infante’, Coín (Málaga).
As a painter, he has been awarded with several prices in Spain, both in regular and plain-air contests. He has been teaching a course that explored fast drawing on location in Granada during 3 years. He is part of the Andalusian watercolour group and plays also an active role in the Urban sketchers group.
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URBAN LANSCAPES / OPEN SPACES
Open spaces in the foreground bring you into the picture. As in a stage, the action takes place in the middle ground, where most part of the detail is depicted. Contrasts, lights and shadows and a distant horizon where all the lines converge, normally complete the composition. I like to show the city life, action and movement around.
‘Urban lanscape’. Santa Fé (Granada). 116x89cms. Watercolour/paper. 1st price in plein-air contest of Santa Fé (Granada), 2018.
‘The Cathedral plain’. Guadix (Granada). 116x81cms. Watercolour/paper. 1st special watercolor price in plein-air contest of Guadix (Granada), 2018.
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‘Urban lanscape’. Mula (Murcia). 100x80cms. Watercolour and collage/paper. 3rd price in plein-air painting contest of Mula (Murcia), 2018.
‘Medina’. Tetouan (Morocco). 156x100cms. Watercolour/paper. Adquisition price in‘Virgen de las Viñas’ international painting contest. Tomelloso (Ciudad Real), 2018.
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URBAN LANSCAPES / OPEN SPACES
‘Urban landscape’. Granada. 116x81cms. Watercolour/paper. 3rd price in plein-air painting contest of Caja Rural (Granada), 2018.
‘Urban landscape’. Baeza (Jaén). 116x81cms. Watercolour/paper. 2nd price in plein-air painting contest of Baeza (Jaén), 2018.
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‘Urban landscape’. Zafarraya (Granada). 100x80cms. Watercolour/paper. 1st price in plein-air painting contest of Zafarraya (Granada), 2018.
‘Urban landscape’. Vera (Almería). 100x80cms. Watercolour/paper. 2nd price in plein-air painting contest of Vera (Almería), 2018.
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URBAN LANDSCAPES / INDUSTRIAL AND SUBURBAN AREAS
‘Abandonded train station’. Alcantarilla (Murcia). 116x89cms. Watercolour/paper. 5nd price in plein-air contest Alcantarilla (Murcia), 2017.
‘Urban landscape’. Cijuela (Granada). 100x80cms. Watercolour/paper. 2nd price in plein-air contest Cijuela (Granada), 2017.
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I try to avoid falling into the painteresque and romantic feeling of a painting. Sometimes infrastructure and industrial landscapes offer you volumes and shapes that allow you to build a painting up with abstract resources, even though the result is a figurative image.
To say more, industrial buildings and landscapes are big machines which intention is to function, so everything is there for a reason; despite we are attracted to them in terms of their plastic richness.
‘Befor the fair starts’. La Zubia (Granada). 100x80cms. Watercolour/paper. 1st special watercolor price in plein-air contest of La Zubia (Granada), 2018.
‘October’ 100x100cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. 2nd price on the young painting cotest of ‘Ximen D’Urrea’. L’Alcora (Castellón), 2018.
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‘EVERYTHING IS LIGHT AND SHADOW’ (TODO SON LUCES Y SOMBRAS) Solo exhibition in hotel ‘El Fuerte’, Marbella (Málaga). July-Sept 2018.
‘Play of light and shadow. San Jerónimo Street’. Granada. 76x56cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘El Centro Artístico’, June 2018, Granada.
‘Play of light and shadow. Puerta Real’. Granada. 76x56cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘El Centro Artístico’, June 2018, Granada.
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‘Everything is light and shadow’ (‘Todos son luces y sombras’) is a series of paintings in watercolor done during the last year that reflect the great interest in this matter: how light and shadow create volume and give shape to the world as we know it, not existing one without the other.
This binomial exists also in the fight between the perfect, rational and apollonian and the irrational, human and dionysiac in the strokes that compose the painting. On the one hand we have a structure based in the perspective and compositional laws; and on the other hand you can notice the gesture of a fast stroke because of the inspiration. The dispute between both trying to achieve balance determines the result on the paper.
This duality is not exclusive of the urban landscapes in our everyday life, but is present in our whole existence, where there are times of light and times of shadow. Our own personality switches between these two poles.
‘Carrera del Darro Street, rainy day’. Granada. 56x38cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘El Centro Artístico’, June 2018, Granada.
‘Rush hour in Puerta Real’. Granada. 40x30cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘El Centro Artístico’, June 2018, Granada.
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‘BETWEEN LAND AND SEA’ (ENTRE TIERRA Y MAR) Solo exhibition in hotel ‘El Fuerte’, Marbella (Málaga). July-Sept 2018.
‘Between land and sea’ is a collection of works realized in 2018, exhibited in Hotel ‘El Fuerte’ (Marbella). They focus in the interstitial zone between land and sea, that narrow line between the colonized, regularized and inhabited world and the clean and homogeneous surface of the marine world. This line can turn into beaches, industrial and leisure ports, city centres…
‘Movement in Dock I’ 116x81cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in hotel ‘El Fuerte’, July-Sept 2018, Marbella (Málaga).
‘Málaga bay’ 70x50cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in hotel ‘El Fuerte’, July-Sept 2018, Marbella (Málaga).
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‘Industrial port I’ 70x50cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in hotel ‘El Fuerte, July-Sept 2018, Marbella (Málaga).
‘Industrial port II’ 70x50cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in Hotel el Fuerte, July-Sept 2018, Marbella (Málaga).
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WORKING ON BLUES
‘High waters’ 146x130cms. Watercolour/paper. 3rd price in the National painting contest of ‘Emasagra, Aguas de Granada’, 2018.
‘The last Glacier’ 130x97cms. Acrylic on canvas. Finalist work in the International Contest ‘Los Picos de Europa’ 2018.
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‘Abisal blues’ 70x50cms. Watercolour/paper. Based on the poem ‘Abisal plains’. Exhibition of the Andalusian Watercolor group in the Cultural Centre of Albolote (Granada), Dec 2018.
Chaouen III and IV (Morocco) 24.5x10.5cms each. Watercolour/paper. Two works on blues, 2017.
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‘URBAN VIBRATIONS’ (VIBRACIONES URBANAS) Solo exhibition ‘La Fábrica del Arte’ (Jaén). With ‘Azur Art Gallery’. 25 Jan-22 February 2019.
‘The Station Avenue’. Jaén. 76x56cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
‘Madrid Avenue’. Jaén. 76x56cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
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‘Urban Vibrations’ is a series of watercolour paintings done in the last year that intend to approach the urban landscape taking advantage of the tools that define it. Therefore, perspectives, lights and shadows, traffic, architecture and figures mix to recreate our nowadays habitat in cities. Since the exhibition took place in Jaén, 8 of the 12 paintings presented depict the city, looking for identification between the public and the works.
‘Maestra Street’. Jaén 40x30cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
‘Urban Landscape’. Jaén 40x30cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
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‘URBAN VIBRATIONS’ (VIBRACIONES URBANAS) Solo exhibition ‘La Fábrica del Arte’ (Jaén). With ‘Azur Art Gallery’. 25 Jan-22 February 2019.
‘Guadalmedina in blues’. Málaga. 100x70cms. Watercolour/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
‘The way’ 116x81cms. Watercolour and gouache/paper. Solo exhibition in ‘La Fábrica del Arte’, Jan-Feb 2019, Jaén.
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‘VERTICAL SOCIETIES’ (SOCIEDADES VERTICALES)
‘Vertical Societies’ is as series of works that expolore vertical segregation of cities, vertical division between rich and poor, that come right back from the Haussman boulevards. The Babel Tower myth, the film Metrópolis, the urban dystopias of films such as Blade Runner are some inspirations. These works try to recreate future urban spaces where the relationship level that now is the ground elevates up to the clouds. Lower levels are left for insalubrity and margination to feed higher levels that enjoy fresh air in the highness, creating two worlds separated by a platform.
‘Vertical Societies I’ 76x56cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the Royal Watercolor Society (UK) for its anual exhibition in Bankside Gallery (London).
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‘Vertical Societies II’ 76x56cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the Royal Watercolor Society (UK) for its anual exhibition in Bankside Gallery (London).
PLAGUES. THE OCCUPATION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT (PLAGAS. LA OCUPACIÓN DEL ESPACIO URBANO) Group exhibition ‘Architecture and Art’. ‘Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante’ (Valencia). With ‘Azur Art Gallery’. 25 Jan-22 February 2019.
‘Plagues I. About the 9km2 that I inhabit’. 80x80cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the group exhibition ‘Architecture and Art’. Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante (Valencia), 2019.
‘Plagues II. About transport’. 80x80cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the group exhibition ‘Architecture and Art’. Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante (Valencia), 2019.
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‘Plagues’ is a artistic project done after an investigation on landscape and urban landscape in particular, trying to understand the relationship between humanity and its occupation of the territory. Figure out the relationship established between ourselves and also with the surrounding. Open up questions promoting reflection such as: how and what amount of space do we occupy, which are the movements that we make, why and where, why do
‘Plagues III. About the rites’. 80x80cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the group exhibition ‘Architecture and Art’. Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante (Valencia), 2019.
we concentrate and reunite, which are the places where we celebrate our rites.. In essence, study the places of concentration, place where we become a plague. This project was selected to be exhibited in the show ‘Architecture and Art’ in ‘Colegio territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante’ (Valencia), 2019.
‘Plagues IV. About the meeting points’. 80x80cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected for the group exhibition ‘Architecture and Art’. Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de Alicante (Valencia), 2019.
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LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATIONS (TRANSFORMACIONES DEL PAISAJE)
This series of works explore how the human settles in the environment and transforms it for its benefit. Contrast between natural and cultural elements, natural and man-made shapes, organic and straight lines…
‘Landscape transformations I. Settlement’ 164x14cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected on international painting competition ‘City of Álora’ (Málaga), 2019.
‘Landscape transformations II. Habitats’ 150x100cms. Watercolour, acrylics and collage/paper. Selected work at the young painting competition ‘Muncunil Roca’ , Manresa (Barcelona).
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WORKING ON GREENS
Despite most of my work is about urban landscapes and how we relate to tme, these more relaxed topics are exercises of observation, investigation on light and shadow, peacefullness; not forgetting the therapeutic side of art.
‘Where sweat is relieved’. Coín (Málaga). 116x89cms. Watercolour/paper. 2nd price in the national painting contest ‘City of Coín 2017’.
‘Throw of light and shadow’. Coín (Málaga). 61x48cms. Watercolour/paper.
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THANK YOU! Adriรกn Marmolejo Clarhed TEL: 0034635790537 MAIL: amclarhed@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: |@adrianmc_art 24 2 4