Raúl de la Torre Spanish, b. 1974
Born in Barcelona, Raúl de la Torre was immersed in the rich artistic heritage of Catalonia from an early age. Shaped by the revolutionary spirit of artists such as Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies, he developed an approach that challenges the conventions of painting while embracing its expressive possibilities. Miró's declaration, "I want to assassinate painting," became a catalyst for Raúl's own exploration of what a painting can be.
Working at the intersection of painting, sculpture, and textile, Raúl transforms the traditional canvas through acts of destruction and repair. He cuts into painted surfaces only to painstakingly mend them with intricate embroidery, creating works that embody both tension and reconciliation. His embroidered threads become both structural and expressive, adding rhythm, depth, and emotion while blurring the boundaries between painting and object.
Raúl studied at the Escola Massana in Barcelona, an institution celebrated for its interdisciplinary approach to art and design. He later worked in the studio of Antoni Tàpies, whose pioneering use of unconventional materials profoundly influenced his understanding of surface, materiality, and the expressive potential of the handmade.
After living and working in London and New York, Raúl settled in Los Angeles, where he continues to expand his distinctive visual language. A member of the LACMA Arts Council, he is actively engaged with the city's vibrant contemporary art community. Over the course of his career, his work has been exhibited in Barcelona, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Berlin, and Toronto, and is represented in numerous private and corporate collections. Through his innovative fusion of painting and embroidery, Raúl continues to redefine the possibilities of painting, creating richly textured works that explore memory, repair, and transformation.
Born 1964, Barcelona, Spain
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, USA
EDUCATION
Universität de Barcelona, London School of Economics
Master’s in marketing, Direction by ESMA Barcelona
The Escola Massana, Art and Design Centre, Barcelona, Spain
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 Threaded Poems, Spotte Art, New York, NY
2015 Shaping Memory, Matthew Rachman Gallery, Chicago, IL
Presentation of Seven New Works, Petrossian, West Hollywood, CA
2013 Poems and Affirmations, Fresh Paint, Culver City, CA
2012 Deep Cuts, Launch, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Experimenting with Color, City of Fontana/Art Depot, Fontana, CA
Fils I Colors, LACMA Art Rental Sales Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Fils I Colors, Seyhoun Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
Ciutats, Arthaus 66 Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2008 Ciutats, Bluebird Art House, Whittier, CA
2007 Vermell i negre, Bluebird Art House, Whittier, CA
2006 Mans i textures, Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Assunta Fox Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Volume Up, The Painting Center, New York
Credible Thread, Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA
3rd Anniversary Group Exhibition, Pamela Walsh Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
2021 Hindsight: 2020 in 20/20, Pamela Walsh Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
Out There, 825 Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
2020 Join Hands Collection, Pamela Walsh Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
2019 GRAND: The Significance of Scale, Pamela Walsh Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
Invitational Exhibition, Julio Valdez Project Space, NY
Point and Line to Plane, Art Project PAIA, Maui, HI
Be Bold, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
Art on Paper, Julio Valdez Project Space, NY, NY
Unexpected Splendor, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2018 New Works, The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
New Works, The Other Art Fair, Santa Monica, CA
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, Building Bridges Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
All-American Inspired, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
Market Art+Design, Michele Mariaud Gallery/The Bridgehampton Museum, Bridgehampton, NY
Making a Statement, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
New Works, The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
West Coast Artists, Michael Warren Contemporary, Denver, CO
Spring Lookbook Exhibition, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
Constructed, Saatchi Art, Santa Monica, CA
Love is in the Art, Merritt Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2017-18 It’s a Colorful World, Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
2017 The Project Space, Open Studio Tour, New York, NY
Poemes, The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
DripnDry Show, Slate Art, Oakland, CA
2016 Summer Group Show, FP Contemporary, Culver City, CA
Out There 2016, 825 Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
Love in Color, Art Project PAIA, Maui, HI
2015 Summer Group Show, FP Contemporary, Culver City, CA
Sampled, Off Ramp Gallery, Pasadena, CA
LA Art Show, Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA
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3rd Anniversary Group Exhibition
December 6, 2022 - January 14, 2023Pamela Walsh Gallery is pleased to present a 3rd Year Anniversary Group Exhibition featuring 13 artists we have been working with over the past three years. This exhibition will be on view until January 14th, 2023.Read more -
GRAND: The Significance of Scale
Group Exhibition November 16, 2019 - February 7, 2020In a time when almost everything can be seen in the palm of your hand, scale plays an important role in art. Large-scale works have an impact that commands our...Read more
