ART BASEL Jordi Mollà in JORDI MOLLÀ NAVIGATES THE WATERS OF ART WITH EASE

By Rebeca Herrero

The Barcelona native has been entertaining us in Hollywood since his mega movie hits “Blow” and “Bad Boys II” originally filmed in Miami decades ago, and where Molla now lives permanently since the pandemic. The house next to a waterway in Miami Beach is emblematic of his artist life, full of canvasses sprawled all around the backyard, in a nomadic and bohemian fashion the actor/painter has embraced. “I’ve been painting since I was 27 years old. I was in Paris, making a movie and to be honest I had so much time to myself, I was literally bored. This when I painted formally for the first time. I’ve continued and it’s just part of my life.” Molla has sold to 100 art collectors worldwide including Johnny Depp and the daughter of Carolina Herrera, Carolina Adriana Herrera. He has exhibited at Arco Madrid, and solo shows in Los Angeles, New York and Miami. Most recently he had 77 paintings at the Moore Building in the Miami Design District. “When I met owner Craig Robbins, we had an instant connection. He is a quiet man, like me, but we understood each other very well,” mentioned the three times Goya nominated actor whose career started in the early 90’s alongside actress Penelope Cruz in the Bigas Lunas Spanish film, “Jamon Jamon”.

The show which took place in February had his artwork for three weeks. His subjects are whimsical, a play on ideas, bet it a Zebra figure surrounded by graffiti like expressions with subliminal messages on societal criticism or an ape that looks big and dangerous with a subtle pink rose in his mouth. These are the opposite messages Molla likes to convey in his untitled pieces. He is as raw as it gets.

His new documentary with artist Domingo Zapata was filmed in Mallorca. “Zapata and I filmed for two months. It’s the story of two friends. We kept postponing it, until I insisted to my friend, it’s time to do it and we did. Titled “The Private Lives of Jordi & Domingo” will premiere at the Faena Theatre in November. The documentary was directed by Italian Giuseppe Ferlito and produced by Publikro London.

As we spoke for some time, Molla affirmed that he does roles that he love. “It’s like falling in love with a woman. It just happens. It’s unexplainable.”