BiographyRene Gonzalez (b.1983, Montreal, Canada) grew up first in Canada as the son of political refugees, then in Costa Rica interacting with a new tropical setting, and now lives in London. Gonzalez paints scenes that reflect on the role of myth and magical realism in the context of a contemporary secular society. Vibrant characters are surrounded by otherworldly environments featuring echoes of tropical forests and manmade structures, theatrical compositions filled with decorative textures, intricate details of foliage and expressive applications of paint. Through his images Rene tries to express his experience of the world as a beautiful yet unsettling mystery, a cross pollinated global community where we can never be entirely familiar with “the recognizable” and “the foreign” is part of the everyday. Often large canvases feature the juxtaposition of different aesthetics, languages, such as references to classical painting, religious iconography, pop art, surrealism, advertising, propaganda, folklore from different cultures and storytelling structures carried on from his background as a graffiti artist and mural painter, conveying a sense of dialogue between the different interacting elements on the canvas. The artist depicts these seductive and dark visual narratives from his position as “an outsider”, like a modern fairy tale where creatures, objects and spaces seem to be alive with ambiguous intentions. Recurrent themes are the importance of conversation, free speech and the modern day hero in a rapidly evolving landscape.Recent Shows and/or Exhibitions2020 Group show for charity at House of Vans, The Center PointSkateboards, London