Anywhere I lay my Head

About Costa Gorel

The origins of Costa Gorel's art lie in Spain; the artist himself grew up in Germany in a multinational family. As a result, he came into contact with a wide variety of cultural traditions at an early age which still influence his work… Read more

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The origins of Costa Gorel's art lie in Spain; the artist himself grew up in Germany in a multinational family. As a result, he came into contact with a wide variety of cultural traditions at an early age which still influence his work today. With distinct sophistication and impressive boldness, he creates unconventional pieces with traditional traits: Between Renaissance and Baroque, modern and contemporary, he plays with motifs, techniques and subtle references in an original way – from medieval myths to the Birkin Bag as a symbol of the modern times.

A central theme of his work is the figure of Orlando – the protagonist of a novel by Virginia Woolf whom Costa Gorel describes as a kind of fictional mentor. A character who travels through the centuries, switching between physical appearances and genders. The only constant is his inner self as he explores life’s spirit through the ages.  

Inspired by the multifaceted nature of human cultures across time, Gorel creates works that illustrate both social and psychological states. His deep roots in the German-Austrian expressionist tradition are evident in the emotional intensity of his portraits. It shows strong parallels to the Austrian painter Egon Schiele such as the self-portrait as a form of expression. 

Between poetic ambiguity and explicit nudity, his paintings are infused with a touch of eroticism that brings both a seductive and an unapproachable nuance. He uses the image of the naked body as a means of expressing passion and desire, but also vulnerability and insecurity.  

Costa Gorel succeeds in combining technical precision with a playful touch: On closer inspection, his little white dog can be found in each of his creations. A subtle game of hide-and-seek that sharpens the eye for unexpected discoveries.

Exhibitions

2020 - International Amsterdam Art Fair

2020 - Rave Miami Art Fair

2020 - 2021 Virtually Nepalian Nude Show

2021 - Group exhibition "Colors of Life", Saatchi Gallery, London, UK

2021 - Group Exhibition "Colors of Emotions" FOLD Gallery, London, UK

2022 – Art Madrid Feria, Madrid, Spain

2023 – Art Madrid Feria, Madrid, Spain

2023 – NordArt 2023, Büdelsdorf, Germany

INTERVIEW

Your artwork draws from a lot of different inspirations – film directing, architecture, fashion but also Virginia Woolf, the German Renaissance, the Baroque and Gothic eras, to name a few. How do you organize all your thoughts while painting – can you give us a glimpse into your mind?

I was always surrounded by Gothic and Baroque from my childhood. I deeply loved architecture of Esslingen am Neckar. I went to the Stadtskirche or to the Muenster Sankt Pauls Kirche and was fascinated by the stone and by the light from the stained-glass windows, which lay blue the stone inside of the gothics space. And that is one of the strongest feelings that inspires me in painting. And this is one the principal reasons for me of living and working in Valencia, cause it's a whole galaxy full of Gothic, Baroque and all the ancient roman gems in which I can be always inspired in. Everything is made of stone, granite stairs and basements on which the characters from the novels of Virginia Woolf could sit, being dressed in fashionable clothings and talking to the gargoyles. That's beautiful and mysterious.

You mention also sexuality and vulnerability in your artist statement and this Orlando character you have created. Are you trying to depict a reimagined masculinity?What is important to you that your viewers take from your art?

Well the artist to me is like a wizard, Gin or an actor which transformates in any form, and the play is played out inside of him. And each experience is being expressed on the canvas as well. And Orlando is one of the roles, which reflects this acting. It is a poetic character who is in a constant transformation, instant journey and rebirth. It's always connected to vulnerable sensations. And I love to show these scenes, these looks which are being created in this flow, and involve the viewer into it. 

How much time and energy does one painting require – from concept development to the final product?

This is always unpredictable, and you never know what and when comes out. Some paintings are being created instantly due to the sleep, some paintings flicker from afar and gradually become visible. Sometimes images overwhelm you and you are hurrying to keep up with them along the way snatching the first chords of long-maturing paintings and you never know where it's going to take you.

Is there anything else you would like to add about yourself and your work?

I would like to add, what Virginia Woolf in the novel "To the Lighthouse" gesagt hat, that “life, consisting of random details that we take turns living, suddenly swells into an indivisible wave, and it picks you up, and carries you, and splashes ashore with acceleration”. And I would describe this way my art experience, my everyday working.