Ygartua Paul | Contemporary Artist: Artworks & Biography

Paul grew up in England and attended the Liverpool School of Art where he specialized in Industrial Design. At the age of 20, he moved to Canada where he made his home. Shortly after his arrival in this new country, he decided to devote himself fully to painting. After having experimented with several pictorial techniques (oil paint, charcoal, ink), he chose acrylic on canvas for its short drying time. Paul has a sustained rhythm of painting and immerses himself for hours in his canvases. His endless inspiration comes from his travels and encounters. He also takes into account the advice and emotions of those close to him, especially his wife who plays an important role in his artistic career. His work is varied because he likes to constantly change and explore new styles and different techniques. Paul uses bright colors to give movement and energy to his painting. He enjoys complex and symbolically rich compositions while seeking a form of balance on the canvas. When painting abstracts, Paul does not intellectualize his painting, he simply seeks to express the energy, joy and desire within him. Always giving free rein to his instinct, he discovers almost with curiosity what his hand is painting. He lives half the year in North America and the other half in Europe (Spain, England and France). He paints what he sees around him when he is struck by the beauty of a landscape or by its character. He alternates between realist, expressionist and surrealist styles with painters such as Dali, Gauguin and especially Van Gogh as his main inspiration. He has participated in some of the largest murals in Canada and the United States, including one for the United Nations.