Imbalance by Juan Miguel Palacios

The exhibition is a collection of multifaceted artworks that highlight social, political, and economic inequality.

In his first solo exhibition with the gallery, Juan Miguel Palacios seeks to bear representation to the state of affairs of the modern world —what he refers to as an “ugly society,” a term he borrows from Noam Chomsky’s documentary Requiem for an American Dream. Advantaged members of the society make others fear and hate each other while reaping as many benefits as possible, thereby embracing the advancement of the self at the cost of others. Palacios presents a visual commentary on the seemingly existing schism between empathy and apathy the world is experiencing.

While his work has a clear figurative language, the large-scale paintings of Palacios contain a strong conceptual load, where his work developed in series, has a constant wandering of the individual’s identity and its relationship with the environment. Concepts such as mourning, duel, luxury, restlessness, and inequality, are constants vital in his work. Palacios continually explores the complex range of human emotions. He is driven by the search for new forms of expression and fuses socio-political themes with personal experiences and historical antecedents of art, creating a modern environment on the most outstanding and controversial issues of contemporary society.

About Juan Miguel Palacios

Born in Madrid in 1973, Palacios began to paint at the early age of 6. After a long journey with many Art Professors and Fine Art Schools, at age 12 he joined the studio of the renowned Spanish painter Amadeo Roca Gisbert (a disciple of Joaquin Sorolla) for six years. During these years, he was educated and formed in strict academic training until he joined the Faculty of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1991.

When he completed his college degree in 1997, he founded the Laocoonte Art School of Madrid, where he combined mentoring and teaching with the development of his career as an artist and had successful exhibitions in cities across Spain and Europe. He also worked as a muralist, theater stenographer, and film posters painter during those years. Palacios now lives in New York.

Opening reception on January 20, from 7 pm to 10 pm, with the artist in attendance.