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Luis Bivar

BIO – Born 1965 Portuguese contemporary figurative and multidisciplinary artist who presently lives and works in Cascais, Portugal. He was an Art Director and won the first edition of the European Design Modulex Award, while painting and exhibiting his work. His long-term pursuit on painting and collage led him toestablish himself in Portugal as well as in Northern Europe and USA. Greatly influenced by the Pop Art movement. He believes that new media is a permanent challenge and explores various techniques in his artwork drawing, mixed media and, more recently, sculpting. His work is present in private and public collections all around the world.

Luis Bivar

BIO – Born 1965 Portuguese contemporary figurative and multidisciplinary artist who presently lives and works in Cascais, Portugal. He was an Art Director and won the first edition of the European Design Modulex Award, while painting and exhibiting his work. His long-term pursuit on painting and collage led him toestablish himself in Portugal as well as in Northern Europe and USA. Greatly influenced by the Pop Art movement. He believes that new media is a permanent challenge and explores various techniques in his artwork drawing, mixed media and, more recently, sculpting. His work is present in private and public collections all around the world.

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Luis Bivar started painting at an early age and has since then explored a variety of techniques, including drawing, sculpture and collage. His work is undoubtedly influenced by Pop Art and hits with bright colours a sharp irony. The repetition and abundance of pop culture icons successfully hypnotises and draws whoever dares to look into a surreal, busy natural landscape. Luis’ pieces can be seen as postcards of enriched, dreamlike experiences and invite the curious minds to get closer and closer – at their own peril! Many have successfully entered Luis’ jungles and forests, but a very few were able to leave them. It’s indeed very easy to get lost in the many details of Bivar’s fantastic landscapes.

On his large canvasses, the depth created by the overlapping of figures is interrupted by a monochromatic and clear background, as if the artist wanted to put an end or include a boundary to the world he created. In “Jungle”, for instance, we are surrounded by an absurd flora and fauna where a big diversity of flowers, reminding the poetic idyllic nature of Pre-Raphaelites paintings, hides weird elements, such as a tiki skull or a vintage superhero. Thanks to his irony and the multiplicity of the techniques the artist meditates, far from being superficial, on the reality of perception and expectation of a perfect world. In works like “Nuclear Mushroom”, for instance, the artist reflects about the appearance of a society where nuclear attack used to be watched like a Sunday matinee at the theatre. Another kind of subject of Bivar’s work are the portraits, mainly feminine faces with a non-ordinary lightness. In these portraits, a light and monochromatic chiaroscuro define the faces. Here, you can also find, in certain details, the vegetal theme that characterises Bivar’s production, underlining the intimate bond and co-dependency between humanity and the natural world.

“My work reproduces familiar visual signs, through the accumulation and appropriation of images. In each project, my methodology is consistent. Although there are always similarities between the different works, they are linked by recurring concerns. Each project usually consists of several works, often in a variety of different media, grouped around specific themes and meanings. During the research and production, new areas of interest arisen lead to the next work. My current project “One day at the Forest” accumulation of Botanical images and painting aims to remember the importance that Nature has for the balance of our planet “One day at the forest” transports the viewer into an imaginary forest with a lot of hidden details to discovery. I work on large and medium formats where i can fell free to create powerful contrast, combining collage and painting. My work has a graphic design influence because is part from my education.”
– Luis Bivar

 

Solo Exhibitions (Selection)
2018
Gallery Ramfjord (Oslo, Norway)
2017
Museum Carris (Lisboa Portugal)
Gallery Ramfjord (Oslo, Norway)
ExibhitN9 (New Jersey, USA)
Casa Museu Medeiros e Almeida (Lisbon, Portugal)
2016
ExibhitN9 (New Jersey, USA)
Museu Palácio do Egipto (Oeiras, Portugal)
2015
ExibhitN9 (New Jersey, USA)
Galerie Ramfjord (Oslo, Norway)
2014
Galerie Ramfjord (Oslo, Norway)
2013
Galeria Joana-Arez-workink (Cascais, Portugal)
2011
Fundação Teresa Regojo (Lisbon, Portugal)
Ferin Gallery (Lisbon, Portugal)
2010
Fundação Champalimaud (Lisbon, Portugal)
2009
Gallery Artform (Estoril, Portugal)
2008
Gallery Artform (Estoril, Portugal)
2007
La Villa Gallery (Estoril, Portugal)
2006
La Villa Gallery (Estoril, Portugal)
2003
Toy Museum (Sintra, Portugal)
2002
La Villa Gallery (Estoril, Portugal)
2000
Galeria Janela Verde (Lisbon, Portugal)

Artist Residency
2017
Eileen Kaminsky Familly Foundation, NJ USA
2016
Eileen Kaminsky Familly Foundation, NJ USA

Art Fairs (Selection)
2018
Scope Basel (Basel, Switzerland)
2017
Scope Miami (Miami, USA)
Scope Basel (Basel, Switzerland)
AAF-Affordable Art Fair (Stockholm, Sweden)
Mostra (Lisbon, Portugal)
Scope Basel (Basel, Switzerland
2016
Scope Miami (Miami, USA)
AAF-Affordable Art Fair (Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Asia Contemporary Art Show (Hong Kong)
Artcopenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Mostra (Lisbon, Portugal)
2014
Scope Miami (Miami, USA)
Artcopenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark
2013
Scope Miami (Miami, USA)
Artcopenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark)

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