JORGE THUILLIER
Galería Rafael Ortiz in Seville is pleased to present “Solitario, sucio, pobre y embrutecío,” an exhibition featuring the most recent work by artist Jorge Thuillier (Cádiz, 1989).
The exhibition invites the viewer to immerse themselves in a body of work born of oblivion and uncertainty, moving away from certainties to embrace the “voracious modesty” of the authentic.
The exhibition’s title, laden with raw and poetic irony, sets the tone for a series of works in which Thuillier breaks free from institutional constraints and market judgments. The artist retreats to a dark, forgotten corner to unveil canvases where mistakes, smudges, and second thoughts are not flaws, but rather testimonies to a light that certainties cannot reach.
A Painting Between Gesture and Mystery
Influenced by the power of the Venetian tradition and the lightness of Japanese calligraphy, Jorge Thuillier employs a technique in which the stroke is “a line sent out for a stroll,” as Paul Klee might say. With an almost instinctive freedom, the artist allows the hand—rather than the mind—to dictate the rhythm. The result is a wild painting that shuns affected elegance in search of a force without thrust.
Narrative in the Face of the Void
Faced with a world of intellectual constructs and pretentious virtues, Thuillier embraces narrative as a shield. His works are populated by figures that seem to emerge from an illuminated unconscious: barefoot philosophers like Diogenes, consummated poets, and frogs that guard the secret of poetry. These are elements that demand to be navigated through abandonment and doubt, reminding us that art is, in essence, a sacred game between chance and destiny.
Thuillier’s work is “a fleeting celebration, brimming with magic”*, where every gesture springs from a lost memory and every painting is a masterful verse that begins and ends in silence.
(*See the complete exhibition brochure, by Carlos Romano Silveira)
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Over the past decade, Jorge Thuillier (Cádiz, 1989) has established himself as one of the most distinctive and honest voices in contemporary visual art. His work is characterized by a visceral exploration of materials and line, championing a conscious approach to painting that dares to look into the shadows to reveal the essence.
He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Seville. He currently lives and works in Madrid. He has exhibited at institutional venues such as CAS (Seville), the Triana Ceramics Museum (Seville), and the Costume Museum / Complutense Art Center (Madrid), and has participated in art fairs such as ARCOmadrid (since 2021) and Paper València (2021, 2023), always represented by Galería Rafael Ortiz.
Among the distinctions received throughout his career are the First Prize at the 18th CICUS National Visual Arts Competition, organized by the University of Seville, and the 6th UNIA Acquisition Prize, awarded by the International University of Andalusia.
His work is part of public collections such as the Bilbaoarte Foundation, the Cultura Líquida Foundation (Valladolid), and ICAS (Seville), among others.
