Miquel Wert makes charcoal drawings inspired by the old photographs from the 50’s. He believes that drawings add a more personal touch to the fabricated photography. In his nostalgia-driven paintings, he questions the collective memory of random strangers. Every time we deal with memories from the past, we tend to overwrite the bad experiences and only cling to the good ones. In his art, Wert tries to explore the depth of the melancholic memories, giving his characters a deeper structure, both in drawing form and in a motive. He draws using old photographs as inspiration, and he takes them from various private collections or flea markets.
Miquel Wert was born in Barcelona in 1982. He is of Swedish lineage and he often examines the influences of his heritage on his personal beliefs and the feeling of collective consciousness. The stories he portrays allow the viewers to sneak peak into the lives of others, where they can identify and collect personal memories by searching for familiarity. Wert graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona. He spent few years living in Paris and created some of his most wonderful pieces there. He exhibited in France, Italy and Spain. He examines the rhythm of everyday routine, trying to find a universal property of shared memories, that is not essentially nostalgic.
Miquel Wert’s collection of family drawings serves as a unique platform for recalling and recollecting subconscious material from the past. Memories fade out, and what we think of the past times has less to do with facts and more to do with sentimental pieces that were caught in the photographs and in our hearts. When he draws, he reconstructs the history, giving the fresh perspective of the events from the past. The artist paints in black, white and shades of gray. He mixes acrylics, charcoal and oil technique. He paints on canvases, draws on paper, and even does murals. The family gatherings in his paintings, are meant to evoke the feeling of anticipation, as we can’t help but wonder what had happened with the characters in the future.
The bareness of the images directly refers to the perception of the identity. Every family is similar to the other, yet completely different and unique. The shared motifs are used as triggers for subconscious exploration. The events that are portrayed are common family gatherings, vacations, and celebrations. In all that subjectivity, a portal to the new dimension opens the one that leads us to different memories. How we remember our past and how we connect with our roots, directly inferences our ability to identify ourselves in the present moment. Miquel Wert gives a beautiful outlook on his heritage, roots, and individuality.
The artist is represented by Green Flowers Art Gallery in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Galeria Anquins in Reus, Tarragona, Spain, Galerie Art du Temps in Cléon d’Andran, France and Luxart Galerie in Arlon, Belgium.
Featured image: Miquel Wert – Portrait of the artist
All images © Miquel Wert
Year | Exhibition Title | Gallery/Museum | Solo/Group |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Des del marge | La Destil leria, Mataro, Spain | Solo |
2015 | Miquel Wert | Galerie Muhlfeld + Stohrer, Frankfurt, Germany | Solo |
2015 | Group Exhibition | Art Bodensee n15, Dornbirn, Austria | Group |
2015 | Group Exhibition | Art KARLSRUHE, Karlsruhe, Germany | Group |
2015 | Affordable Art Fair Brussels | Bruxelles, Belgium | Group |
2015 | Residencias de creaci on TNS>BCN 2010-2014 | C, C, Fort Pienc, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2015 | Carte blanche aux galeries dart | Green Flowers Art Gallery, Boulogne-Billancourt, France | Group |
2015 | The Art of Portraitism Galerie Art du Temps | Cl eon-dAndran, France | Group |
2014 | Lost & Found | Green Flowers Art Gallery, Boulogne-Billancourt, France | Solo |
2014 | Miquel Wert | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Solo |
2014 | Miquel Wert | Galerie Muhlfeld + Stohrer, Frankfurt, Germany | Solo |
2014 | DelicARTessen 13 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2014 | Art per Emportar | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2014 | 34 Mini Print Internacional de Cadaqu es | Fundaci o Tharrats dArt Grafic, Pineda de Mar, Spain | Group |
2014 | Curiosit es de Noel | Green Flowers Art Gallery, Boulogne-Billancourt, France | Group |
2014 | Materia y memoria – Lo sensible y su representaci on | Casa Elizalde, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2014 | 34 Mini Print Internacional de Cadaqu es | Galerie L Etangdart, Bages, France | Group |
2014 | St-Art | Foire Europ eenne dArt Contemporain, Strasbourg, France | Group |
2014 | ART FAIR | Cologne, Germany | Group |
2014 | Guest of honour | Rotary Foundation - Mus ee de la chaussure, Romans-sur-Isere, France | Group |
2014 | art3G | Foire Internationale dArt Contemporain, Bordeaux, France | Group |
2014 | 34 Mini Print Internacional de Cadaqu es | Wingfield Barns, Wingfield, UK | Group |
2014 | Artificialia, muestra de pintura contemporanea barcelonesa | Cyan Art Gallery, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2014 | Group Exhibition | Art Bodensee, Dornbirn, Austria | Group |
2014 | Silenci abans de Bach | Konvent, 0, Cal Rosal, Spain | Group |
2014 | Fundaci o Pinnae - Art per emportar | Forum Berger Balaguer, Vilafranca del Penedes, Spain | Group |
2014 | Art KARLSRUHE | Karlsruhe, Germany | Group |
2014 | DelicARTessen 12 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2014 | Art per Emportar | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2013 | Out of the Past | C, C, Fort Pienc, Barcelona, Spain | Solo |
2013 | Lolita | Konvent 0, Cal Rosal, Spain | Group |
2013 | Doble Sentit | Casa del Llibre, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2013 | DelicARTessen 11 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2013 | Curiosit es de Noel | Green Flowers Art Gallery, Boulogne-Billancourt, France | Group |
2012 | Duo Exhibtion with A Ruiz Villar | Beseda Gallery, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Solo |
2012 | Miquel Wert | Galerie Charlot, Paris, France | Solo |
2012 | Art per Emportar | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2012 | TOGS Art Event | Deebee Gallery, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2012 | 40 Sal o de Maig | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2011 | Miquel Wert | Galerie Art du Temps, Cleon-d Andran, France | Solo |
2011 | Miquel Wert | The Little Buddha Gallery, Barcelona, Spain | Solo |
2011 | Solstici 2011 | Centre dArt Tecla Sala, LH, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2011 | [Odela] visions dartistes contemporains | Kanvas Art Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia | Group |
2011 | Retrospective 2006-2010 | Galerie Art du Temps, Cl eon-dAndran, France | Group |
2011 | DelicARTessen 9 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2010 | Wert: Presencies efimeres | TPK Arts Plastiques, Centre dArt Tecla Sala, Barcelona, Spain | Solo |
2010 | BCN-TNS 2010, Miquel Wert | Galerie Aire Libre, Espace dArt et de Cr eation El Teatro, Tunis, Tunisia | Solo |
2010 | Caixa dArt | Galeria Anquins, Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2010 | Tallers Oberts del Poble Nou | Jiser: Reflexions Mediterranies, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2010 | 8eme Printemps des Arts Plastiques | Pallais Abdellia, La Marsa, Tunisia | Group |
2010 | XIII Concurso Bienal de Pintura Joven | Galeria Anquins [Art Loft], Reus, Tarragona, Spain | Group |
2010 | DelicARTessen 8 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelone, Spain | Group |
2009 | Miquel Wert - Project Room | KGallery, Legnano, Milano, Italy | Solo |
2009 | Entre Valles | Sala de Exposiciones Torrearte, Torremocha de Jarama, Madrid, Spain | Group |
2009 | El Palau dHivern | Centre dArt Tecla Sala, Solstici 09, LH, Barcelone, Spain | Group |
2009 | The Young Art Fair | Liste 09, Basel, Switzerland | Group |
2009 | Jeunes Peintres Espagnols | Galerie Art du Temps, Cl eon-dAndran, France | Group |
2009 | Anonyme Zeichner – Archive Selection | Fruehsorge Galerie fur Zeichnung - Contemporary Drawings, Berlin, Germany | Group |
2009 | DelicARTessen 7 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2008 | Miquel Wert | Cin eManivel, Redon, France | Solo |
2008 | Anonyme Zeichner | Kunstraum Kreuzberg - Bethanien, Berlin, Germany | Group |
2008 | BCN XL | The Smithfield Gallery, London, UK | Group |
2008 | DelicARTessen 6 | Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2007 | Exhibition Cycle 2005 – 2007 | Studio Luis Antunez 10, Barcelona, Spain | Solo |
2006 | Group Exhibition | Museu de Badalona, 4th Prize of Painting Menarini, Badalona, Spain | Group |
2005 | M. Wert - Notas al Margen | Sala dArt Jove de la Generalitat, Barcelona, Spain | Solo |
2005 | XLVII Prize to the youth painting | Fundaci o Banc Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2005 | Figuration | Galeria Kunsthaus 414, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2004 | 10 years of Drawing of Movement | Facultat de Belles Arts, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2002 | 5th Illustration Prize RAIMA | Foment de les Arts i del Disseny, FAD, Barcelona, Spain | Group |
2000 | Exposition Multidisciplinaire | Espai art Clorofila, Clorofilart, Barcelona, Spain | Group |