Sun, Painting by Carlos Gamez De Francisco

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This work is rooted in a formative period of my studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, when I had … Read more This work is rooted in a formative period of my studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, when I had the opportunity to take several classes across Europe—in Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. Each place left a distinct mark on my practice, but it was the Netherlands that stayed with me the most deeply.

There, I encountered the legacy of still life painting in a very direct and personal way, particularly through the work of Vincent van Gogh and his iconic sunflowers. Seeing those paintings in person had a lasting impact on me. They carried an emotional intensity that went beyond representation—sunflowers transformed into vessels of light, fragility, and human presence. That experience became a turning point in my work and ultimately led me to revisit still life as a central theme.

In my own practice, however, I wanted to reimagine this tradition rather than simply revisit it. My goal has been to create a more contemporary language for still life—one that breaks away from the limitations of the square or rectangular canvas. I began painting on round surfaces, and even extending the composition onto the frame itself, allowing the image to feel less contained and more immersive.

The result is a dialogue between tradition and experimentation: a still life that honors its history while gently pushing its boundaries into a more contemporary, sculptural space. See less