Beatriz Elorza
Blooming Emotions
Growing up in Santander, I was surrounded by the beauty of the sea landscape, and came to realize that nature itself is all beauty. That’s why I found my inspiration in nature. Painting is an escape from my architectural background, where straight lines define boundaries and intrude upon free movement. My paintings talk about life, about freedom, the freedom I feel when I’m in front of my white canvas. Nature provides a vehicle for me to combine and express the dynamism and tensions of my unconscious. Each painting evolves in an unpredictable way -- I follow my instincts and let the painting guide me through the whole process, trusting the marks my unconscious leaves through the brush on the canvas.
“To evoke the words of the American modernist Cy Twombly, Elorza’s work is not about the floral subject, “but about the blooming” of emotions.”
Artist Bio
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Beatriz Elorza has had solo exhibitions in New York City, London, Madrid, and her hometown of Santander, Spain. Her paintings have appeared in numerous group exhibitions in Spain, Russia, London, Tokyo and New York, including at The Royal Academy of Arts (London), the Wells Museum (Somerset, UK) and the Tsvetaev Museum, Moscow, where her work is in the permanent collection. Her painting “Afternoon Shade” was published for the select poster collection of the Royal Academy Shop.
After studying architecture in Turin and Madrid, Elorza received instruction for five years from Guipuzcoan artist Leticia Ortiz de Urbina. Continuing in this direction, from 2011 to 2013 she studied with Frank O’Cain, Bruce Dorfman and Charles Hinman at The Art Students League in New York City, where she received a Merit Scholarship as a Teaching Assistant. Beatriz Elorza lives and works in London. “Blooming Emotions” is her first exhibition with Rafael Gallery.
Selected CV
MUSEUMS
Permanent collection of the Tsvetaev Museum in Moscow , Russia
Mauro Muriedas Museum, 2013 Torrelavega, Spain
Wells Museum, Wells, U.K 2015
AWARDS
Selected as ‘Young Masters Prize 2017’ Alumna
Selected ‘Summer Exhibition Royal Academy of Arts’ 2017, London
Selected ‘Ibero-American Arts award 2016’ Embassy of Brazil, London
Selected ‘Summer Exhibition Royal Academy of Arts’ 2016, London
Selected ‘WAC’ Wells Museum 2015, London
Special Recognition Award 2013, for ‘Storm’, All Woman Art Competition
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Rafael Gallery, October 2017, New York
Turner Barnes Gallery, June 2017, London
Anderson Contemporary (‘Breathing Color II’) January 2016, New York
Spanierman Gallery (‘Breathing Colors’) April 2014, New York
Parlament of Cantabria (‘Mas Nueva York’) July 2013, Santander, Spain
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
‘Summer Exibition 2017’ Royal Academy of Arts, London
Ibero-American Arts award, Embassy of Brazil 2016, London
‘Summer Exibition 2016’ Royal Academy of Arts, London
WAC Wells Museum, October 2015, Wells, UK
NIW Gallery, September 2015, Tokyo, Japan
Grant Bradley Gallery, August 2015, Bristol
Spanierman Modern Gallery, ‘Summer Selections’ July 2014, New York