Belin, born in Linares, Spain, creates large-scale portraits of distinct characters that feel realistic and caricature-like at the same time. Their large heads and the dynamic, colorful designs behind them lend the works an eye-catching surrealism. It’s the type of work that makes you look twice and marvel at the power of a few spray paint cans.
Belin did not receive formal training. He drew from a young age but not until 1995 did he pick up a spray paint can. His talent got him noticed by Von D and others and last year he traveled to Miami for Art Basel. Belin’s hometown and L.A. find common ground in the ever-present threat of buffing.
Spain’s Belin is well-known for his rosy-cheeked graffiti characters, which have a strong fine art quality to them. Belin is equally adept at painting huge murals, canvases and making sculptures, all of which carry his distinctive style.
While visitors will see familiar faces in his work, like those of President Obama and Hugo Chavez, Belin leaves it up to the viewer to decide who they see as true superheroes. He sees the less famous figures in his works as superheroes, whether they realize it or not. “They’re normal, common people that work on the street in whatever normal job — whether in a bakery, as a taxi driver or a painter — that have trouble because of the economic crisis,” says Belin. “We’re all superheroes and we don’t know it until a difficult moments comes and we find our strength.”
Belin has already kept a wide curriculum, his pieces have been exposed all around Spain and countries like Germany, Italy, United Kingdon, Netherlands, Brasil, Israel, Mexico, USA. even he painted for brands like Dockers or Carhartt and tattoo artists like Kat von D from L.A. INK.
Year | Exhibition Title | Gallery/Museum | Solo/Group | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Belin | Gallery 44309, Dortmund, Germany | Solo | |
2014 | Art Madrid 2014 | Gallery Fernando Latorre, Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2014 | Expo Belin: of the Wall | The Healthcare Gallery, Baton Rouge, Loussiana, USA | Solo | |
2013 | Contemporary art fair Art 13 Madrid (Guest) | Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2013 | True and False Superheroes | Wonderland Gallery, Los Angeles California, USA | Solo | |
2013 | Agora | Gallery of Fernando Latorre, Madrid, Spain | Solo | |
2013 | Single Expocisioón | 44309 street, Art gallery, Dormunt, Germany | Solo | |
2012 | Mural Project for The Municipal Institute of Youth | Leon-Guanajuato, Mexico | Solo | |
2012 | Mural Project in Carranza Cultural Center | Mexico | Solo | |
2012 | Collective Show | Caja Granada, Granada, Spain | Group | |
2012 | STROKE Urban Art Fair | BERLIN, Germany | Group | |
2012 | Super Heroes in Crisis | Indoor ARCA, Mexico, DF | Group | |
2012 | Art Basel Miami | Miami, Florida, United States | Group | |
2011 | First prize in Graffiti | HIP HOP VICAR, Almería | Group | |
2011 | Pleasure | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2011 | Group Exhibition in municipal building department Villa Maria | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2011 | Against the artistic abuse | Linares, Spain | Group | |
2011 | Belin | Cultural Week, Cástulo Secondary School, Linares, Spain | Solo | |
2011 | Step in the Arena | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Group | |
2011 | Belin | Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, Hertogenbosch, Netherlands | Solo | |
2011 | Urban Tales Festival | Foggia, Italy | Group | |
2011 | Graffiti Exhibition | Mexico, DF | Group | |
2011 | Exhibition of paintings and sculpture | School of Professional Design, Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Belin young art “Boy King” | Civic Center, Granada, Spain | Solo | |
2010 | Belin Solo Show | Pupa Tattoo Art Gallery, Granada, Spain | Solo | |
2010 | Conference on ESDI | Sabadell, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Air | Graffiti House, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Demo Castellon Art Fair | Spain | Group | |
2010 | The Painted House | University of Jaén, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Graffiti-Exhibition on Urban Culture | Santiago de Compostela, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Collective international exhibition | Cartagena, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Urban art festival Xtatic | Split, Croatia | Group | |
2010 | Fire | Graffiti House, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Festival Zaragoza City | Zaragoza, Spain | Group | |
2010 | Graffiti Fine Art Sculpture | Museum of Sao Paulo, Brazil | Group | |
2010 | JILfestival event (Guest) | Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico | Group | |
2010 | Myths | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2009 | Fire the Metal | Puerto Rico, USA | Group | |
2009 | Love | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2009 | Puppet | MONTANA GALLERY Barcelona, Spain | Group | |
2009 | Art Concerto No 1 in E major op8 rv | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2009 | The Painted House | Polytechnic School of Surveyors, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2009 | Festival Zaragoza City | Zaragoza, Spain | Group | |
2009 | PRAY ART CONVENTION | Pontedera, Italy | Group | |
2009 | HIP HOP DOME 8 | Paris, France | Group | |
2009 | FAIM Art Fair | Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2009 | Winter Group show “WATER” | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2008 | Arroz con Leche | MTN gallery of Valencia, Spain | Group | |
2008 | Chess 2mil8 | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2008 | International Festival of Graffiti “Fire to Lata” | Rio Piedras Puerto Rico, USA | Group | |
2008 | The Incoherence of the consistent | Prinardi Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico | Group | |
2008 | Smart talk, May 68 | Córdoba, Spain | Group | |
2008 | Blue | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2008 | Jaén Art Fair | Spain | Group | |
2008 | Silent Night | La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain | Group | |
2007 | Belin | La Casa de La Juventud, Linares, Spain | Solo | |
2007 | Artistic Europei Giovan | Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy | Group | |
2007 | ARTERY | Art fair Monzón, Huesca, Spain | Group | |
2007 | Belin | I.A.J (Instituto Andaluz de la Juventud), Jaén, Spain | Solo | |
2007 | Graffiti Puertollano Contest (Judge) | Ciudad Real, Spain | Group | |
2007 | Graffiti Contest Andalusia (Finalist) | Sevilla, Spain | Group | |
2007 | Eurocultured Exhibition | Manchester, England | Group | |
2007 | Eurocultured Exhibition | Dublin, Ireland | Group | |
2007 | Skate International Championship | Ibiza, Spain | Group | |
2007 | Bum-Exhibition | Bilbao, Spain | Group | |
2007 | WALL ART Graffiti Sevilla | Spain | Group | |
2007 | ARTjaen (Jaén Art Fair) | Jaen, Spain | Group | |
2007 | 400ml-Graffiti Exhibition | Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Spain | Group | |
2006 | Graffiti Exhibition | Monzón, Huesca, Spain | Group | |
2006 | Graffiti contest of the Basque Country (Judge) | Tolosa, Spain | Group | |
2006 | Graffiti Exhibition | University of Valencia, Spain | Group | |
2006 | Festival “Bass Gardens” | Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2006 | FAIM Art Fair | Madrid, Spain | Group | |
2006 | Art Fair | Agrigento, Sicily, Italy | Group | |
2005 | Graffiti Exhibition | Monzón, Huesca, Spain | Group | |
2005 | Biennial Graffiti “Hispanis Passion” | Valencia, Spain | Group | |
2005 | Graffiti contest of the Basque Country (Judge) | Getxo, Spain | Group | |
2005 | Graffiti-Meeting | Hassmersheim, Germany | Group | |
2005 | Art Chess | Linares, Spain | Group | |
2005 | Faces of Don Quixote | Spain | Group | |
2005 | The biennial Europe and the Mediterranean | Naples, Italy | Group | |
2004 | Art Chess | Linares, Spain | Group |