Spanish artist based in New York since 2013, Juan Miguel Palacios, has built a diverse and compelling body of work primarily rooted in figurative representation.His paintings, always marked by a strong conceptual foundation, represent an ongoing investigation into not only new modes of representation and materials, but also the individual's evolving relationship with their environment. Palacios’ practice consistently delves into complex themes such as inequality, aggression, and psychological or emotional trauma, often explored through carefully structured series. Known for his innovative use of unconventional materials, ranging from painted and shattered wall panels to layered transparent surfaces that create striking three-dimensional effects, his ever-evolving approach continuously expands the boundaries of painting.In his most recent series “Variations of Nothing”, marked by a more introspective and existential tone, Palacios turns his attention to the mutable nature of identity itself. Dissolving the boundaries between appearance and reality, abstraction and realism, invite us to question and reconsider what we are actually seeing, to the point of becoming lost within our own visual experience. Using a sophisticated and complex technique that ranges from hyperrealism to the most minimal abstraction, and playing with the concept of collage as a metaphor for “independent past experiences that reconstruct our present” he constructs a living universe. Elements that, at first glance, might appear meaningless and devoid of significance, bringing them to the light and transforming them into physical structures with a sense of reality. Bodies with their own identity and meaning. He creates intuitive and impulsive brushstrokes and blotches of acrylic paint on separate non-porous surfaces, which he then peels away and reassembles onto the canvas. This process of composition, deconstruction, and recomposition continues until the final work takes shape. Using the walls and floors of his studio as both stage and subject, creates an interpretative confusion, where each mark of paint becomes the most direct testimony of his creative process as a metaphor of our living experiences.