A figurative painter who depicts life scenes, memories, contradictions, and thoughts in his work, Lupo Sol was born in 1973 in Barakaldo, Vizcaya. He enjoys expressionism, and his style incorporates a variety of influences.
Residing in Alicante, Lupo grew up reading comic books and drawing characters. His first encounter with oil paint was when he was ten years old, but the experience was short-lived. He soon left the academy where he was enrolled after painting some copies of traditional landscapes.
Lupo later devoted himself to music, fanzines, and surreal poetry. Until he moved to Madrid to work as a graphic and web designer, he only occasionally painted a few pastel drawings.
He moved to Alicante to live with his partner, Vida, after a decade as a formal employee. There, he could resurrect his pictorial vein and survive the dominant “normalcy,” devoting himself to his art more than ever.
In 2015, he had the opportunity to participate in his first exhibition as part of an Asturias festival. His participation in his exhibitions has been relatively limited since then, with him making himself more known through social networks. Lupo identifies with the Stuckists, a movement that advocates for the purest painting and art, and has participated in some of the group’s collective exhibitions.
His fixation and clear pictorial influence have been among the expressionists of the twentieth century, particularly Kirchner, Chagall, Munch, and Ensor, to name a few. Still, he is constantly surprised by the masters of the baroque, whose colors he attempts to investigate.
The sarcastic tone in many of his works or drawings is derived from other sources, perhaps closer to Robert Crumb than Otto Dix, George Grosz, and other artists who painted on social issues.
With all of this, he gradually built a career and a way of life for himself. He knows it’s complicated, but he wants to burn his cartridges and exhaust the possibilities, learning and adding color to an otherwise gray world.
Some exhibition projects in Siberia were abandoned due to the arrival of the global pandemic, which turned everything upside down. Since then, none of his works have been exhibited, except for a small painting in a London gallery, courtesy of members of the Stuckism collective.
On the other hand, one of his works served as the cover for the debut book of a young Iranian writer, and he has recently collaborated on the book of a Basque musician, which will be released in December.
“I don’t believe in art as a tool for social change, at least in these times we live in,” says Lupo. However, he believes art may enrich you and make you a better person on an individual level.
“It would be wonderful if art had more relevance in the educational system and in the training of children, perhaps this would awaken sensitivities, creativity, and another way of approaching life. From that perspective, I think the future could be a little more hopeful,” concludes Lupo.
Lupo, who only signs with the word ‘Sol,’ does not lavish much on exhibitions or shows beyond the Internet, although he is still open to other stimuli. He thinks he still has a lot to tell and shout, sometimes with anger, others with love, but never with indifference.