Published on March 22, 2021

Alexis Duque

The Eye, 2020, 24 x18 Inches, acrylic on canvas

“I am obsessed with imaginary cities, sometimes I like to depict futuristic architectural metropolises, and other times, I am inspired by slums and shanty towns from developing countries, overflowed with crowded objects, exotic nature and furniture in an uncontrollable growth of accumulation and waste. I like to draw, I prime and stretch the canvas directly on the wall, so I have the support of a solid and hard surface. Then I start by sketching with a 0.5 ink pen. I draw with sharp lines to define the entire structure of the work. Then I proceed to paint many smooth layers of acrylic painting, using mostly very small brushes.

Through the drawing of precise lines and intricate compositions, I aim at depicting elements that inhabit clustered spaces, where nature repossesses and reclaims human places, sometimes as post-apocalyptic visions or utopian narratives.” Alexis Duque, 2021

Alexis Duque explores the legacy of colonialism, consumerism, and human population. In view of the recent right-wing political crisis bringing renewed threats to the environment, record levels of contagion, and a mounting refugee crisis, the artist's message seems more urgent than ever. Duque’s psychedelic precision and his perspective tricks find their point in the works of M.C. Escher. His views from above, however, are inspired by the poetics of Italian futurists, such as cities seen from airplanes. obtained his first degree in Fine Arts from the University of Antioquia, Colombia.