Carlos León
Born in Ceuta in 1948, Carlos León lives and works in Segovia, Spain.
Carlos León’s career is a paradigm of exploration within abstraction. Over the years, he has pursued a relentless investigation into materials (wood, canvas, polyester, or Dibond), techniques (from brushes to hands), and painting itself, delving into its expressive possibilities. In this process, he has approached the canvas and medium from every conceivable angle and perspective, achieving a perfect balance of composition, color, and gesture. Risk and surprise are inseparable from each new stage of his work.
Carlos León fully devoted himself to painting in 1968. In 1972, he settled in Paris, attending open studios at L’École des Beaux-Arts, where he engaged with the Support/Surfaces movement, which he later helped introduce to Spain. In 1976, he was selected to participate in the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In 1985, he moved to New York after being chosen to join the Triangle Artist Workshop led by Anthony Caro. After a period teaching at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cuenca, he returned to New York in 1995, where he lived and worked until 2002, when he decided to move back to Spain, where he continues his artistic practice to this day.
His work—always tied to abstract expressionism—is defined by an entirely personal language, consistent and rigorous across the various mediums he employs. His mature career reflects the mastery of a singular artistic practice. Lyrical elements, evocations of landscapes and gardens, the body as a site, carnality, and rawness characterize his paintings. A long-standing fascination with geometry has been a constant throughout his trajectory, becoming increasingly explicit in the 1970s and prominently present in much of his recent repertoire.
Carlos León has exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the Venice Biennale, Museo Reina Sofía, Fundación Joan Miró, CGAC, and Museo Patio Herreriano, among others. His works are included in the collections of Museo Reina Sofía, CA2M, MACBA, MUSAC, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Center of Contemporary Art in Ohio. In 2022, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts.