João Gabriel

Untitled

Desire, Trust, and Intimacy

The paintings of João Gabriel (b. Leiria, Portugal, 1992; lives and works in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal) are defined by nimble and animated brushwork. In homage to the Old Masters of the Baroque, he bathes his works in a virtuoso play of light and shadow. Gabriel’s main motifs are male nudes, lingering in instants of intimacy and enacting affectionate encounters: a kiss, a hug, or something in between.

His art is inspired by gay pornography from the 1970s—a golden age of initially timid public visibility of queer culture, the same decade during which the global LGBTQIA+ movement formed, and before the AIDS crisis grew to terrifying dimensions. His paintings and visual explorations are subject to abstraction and harness a deep chromatic scale. Always suggestive, Gabriel’s works transcend the act of representation and contribute to the flourishing of queer and homoerotic narratives in contemporary painting.

The artist edition presents realistic yet tender depictions of male bodies, whom we meet for a fleeting moment before a window, in the countryside, or in the bathroom. The 15 unique pastel and charcoal drawings were created on the occasion of the release of his first monograph.

PLEASE NOTE: As these are unique pieces, please contact Lorena Juan by email (juan@distanz.de) before making a purchase online.