Alejandro Casanova: Contemporary Portraiture
Self-Portrait, Alejandro Casanova
“White Bench and Cast Shadow” Oil on canvas
“Untitled” Ink on Fabriano paper
“Untitled” Ink on Fabriano paper
“Sunday afternoon Postnerd” Oil on canvas
“Untitled” ink on paper
“Federal Art Project (WPA)” Oil on canvas
"Inside the intimate: Untitled". Oil on canvas
“Meditation Center” Oil on linen
Alejandro Casanova has gained international recognition and academic praise for his figurative paintings. From honing his portraiture skills at a young age to now teaching workshops and online courses, Alejandro has made great strides in the world of contemporary portraiture.
Tell me about your experience and where your creative journey began.
I have always drawn since I was a child, I simply never stopped drawing and painting. I remember my house full of comics from my older brother, who is dedicated to illustration, reading and copying his illustrations. During adolescence, a bad time for almost everyone, I was lucky enough to meet a teacher who showed me my way. I remember he told me "You must study fine arts." And I have to this day.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I just paint what excites me, I don't really understand what the system is. The only thing I know is that I feel an impulse which leads me to represent the images that I take or that I find myself.
What led you to focus on painting the figure?
In college, portrait and figure painting were considered the most complex disciplines. The need for approval made me always focus on this type of topic.
How have your paintings changed and evolved over time?
I think I have always worked on the same axes of perception; structure, color and respect for matter. Changes in style or theme have more to do with a personal emotional evolution and the technical level that the working hours provide you.
What is a typical day in the studio like for you and how has your artistic practice grown or changed?
My days in the studio are like those of any worker. I work between 6 and 8 hours a day, excluding the weekends that are to enjoy my family. I arrive at the workshop and organize the work. I prioritize urgent things like packing shipments, preparing media, etc. Then I decide the image that I am going to work and the claims I have about that painting. I organize the meetings for mid-morning as a break. To finish, I clean the brushes and spend a few minutes reviewing how the day has gone and the small successes achieved.
What experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
It is true that vital changes have marked certain points in my life and therefore my work. But I have really had a comfortable and mundane life, so the changes have not been great or uncommon.
How has Instagram impacted your artistic career?
Instagram has been the way to publicize my work and my content. Currently, social networks are causing a radical change in the painter's relationship with the public, that direct treatment that they did not have before, as well as in the sale and acquisition of works of art. Instagram has really been the door to being able to live exclusively from my work.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
I think my goals are simple and not very ambitious; continue living from my work, love my family, enjoy my friends, buy a house, and have a good atelier.
Follow Alejandro on Instagram: @casanova_ale
Website: www.alecasanova.com