Meet Miguel Liano, The Artist Behind Our Latest Artwork Collection

1. What first inspired you to become an artist? 

I started drawing and painting as a young child growing up in Spain, and was immersed in and fascinated by the rich history of the Spanish masters like Goya and Velazquez. Despite this, I was never really guided or encouraged towards painting as a career. I completed a degree in Fashion Design at Central St Martin's College in London and gained work experience with designers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan. After attending the inspiring retrospective exhibition of Georg Baselitz at the Royal Academy, I realised that art was my true calling. I began developing a body of work, which thankfully resonated with collectors and I was able to make the career transition. 

2. How would you describe your artistic style, and has it evolved over time? 

As an autodidact in this craft, I have many influences from art history itself, but also from related fields like design, architecture, cinema and other visual arts. I see my early figurative work as an amalgam of those influences and as a part of the painterly tradition that most closely resonates with me. My recent explorations have delved into abstract painting, but I will definitely return to figurative work again and possibly a combination of the two going forward. 

3. What themes or ideas do you explore most often in your work? 

I am fascinated by mysticism, symbology, astrology, alchemy, natural law, philosophy, Gnosticism and esotericism to name a few. As such, these themes tend to find their way into my work, whether explicitly or implicitly. 

4. Who are the artists (past or present) that have influenced you the most? 

Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Goya, Picasso and the visual artistry of Pier Paolo Pasolini - again to name a few of the many. 

5. What’s the most challenging part of being a painter, and how do you overcome it? 

The solitude and focus required to access inspiration and also my tendency to harsh self-criticism. I find walking in nature a good way to clear my mind between spells of prolonged concentration, and also a time reflect, regain perspective and to see my work afresh and more objectively. 

6. ‘Exhibit A’: Could you tell us a bit about this artwork - do you want viewers to take away a specific message, or is it open to interpretation? 

I don't paint with a intentional message in mind, nor do I wish to prescribe an interpretation. Meaning is co-produced between the painter and the viewer, but also infinitely mutable across time and context, and from viewer to viewer. In this way, the process of creation and co-creation can continue long after the painting is "completed" 

7. ‘Shooting The Breeze’: This is an intriguing subject matter and composition. Is there a central message or theme to this work? 

It can be seen as a depiction of the chaos of youth and the journey to finding identity and purpose in an increasingly homogenized and urbanized world.  

8. What role does colour and texture play in this work? 

This work is pieced together with seemingly random and mismatched fragments of shapes and colours, as if to represent a real-life collage that somehow still has a semblance of coherence. 

9. How do you know when a painting like this is finished? 

I rely on intuition and an instinctive sense that a resolution has been reached. 

10. Looking ahead, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects, exhibitions, or directions in your art that you’re especially excited about? 

I have been working on a large body of abstract paintings of various sizes. I am in the process of curating these into "exhibition-sized" collections to bring to market through galleries and private collectors in the near future. 

Want to see more? Check out Miguel's collection at Swyft Home.