The Phone Call by Fabian Perez
The Phone Call by Fabian Perez
Fabian Perez is a contemporary artist specialising in powerful and atmospheric oil paintings that are collected all over the world. He keeps this vision of the Argentina from his childhood alive in his paintings, with dry, textural, expressive brushstrokes and enigmatic characters absorbed in a thought or act, often caught in some glow of light set against the dark of night-time.
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS: (unframed) 24 x 18 ins/ 61 x 45.7 cm
SIGNATURE: Signed (lower right)
Price: £36,750
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Perez’s paintings are recognisable for their sultry, atmospheric quality, and a thread of idealised romanticism that unites his portfolio. They transport us into a moment of sensuality, moodiness, and intrigue, capturing a quality that the artist himself refers to as ‘emotionalism’. His style is one that embodies the nuances between often oversimplified concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, by playing with defined light and shadow and complex characters – often women of the night as is the case here. The Phone Call clearly transports the viewer back into the age of the artist’s early life, not least by the phone itself but by the stylised protagonist; her hair and face made up, her classic black dress leaving her exposed skin half glowing in the light from the window, and half shrouded in the darkness of her room.
Provenance
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Biography
Fabian Perez, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1967, has gone on to achieve international acclaim and success for his artistic practise. A contemporary figurative artist, he focuses on capturing human moments of intimacy and sensuality. His works are windows into often elegant worlds – ranging from Japanese geishas to famous figures, to self-portraits. Shrouded in atmosphere and mystery, Perez’s paintings communicate the characteristics of his father’s lifestyle; he was known as a clandestine figure, doing business after dark in the nightclubs and brothels of Campana. This meant that Perez grew up in a world of gambling, glamorous tango dancers, flamenco musicians, and underground businesses dressed in romance. Both danger and excitement filled the childhood of Perez, and this pointedly influences the artist’s work even still.
Having lost both parents during his adolescence, Perez continued to express himself creatively and with newfound maturity. He went on to live across continents – from Rio de Janeiro to Padova, Italy, to Okinawa, Japan. All of these cultures and influences had a deep impact on Perez and his subsequent practise. Having then moved to Los Angeles, he began what he describes as being the most creative period of his career to date. Beginning to exhibit his work, Perez was met with extreme enthusiasm and every painting on show quickly sold.
Perez’s accolades are numerous, and he is admired and collected widely across the globe. He was the official artist of the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards, as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He went on to win the Artist of the Year 2014 award from the Italy Academy of Arts, and the Art Tour International Magazine Master of Contemporary Art award. Recently, he even completed a portrait of Pope Francis, which he presented to him at the Vatican. The painting now exists in the Pontiff’s personal collection. Other well-known figures who own a Perez include singer Shakira, actor Micky Rourke, and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard.