No religions in the sky: Okuda San Miguel | Delimbo Sevilla

The connexion between art and religion has remained constant throughout history. It has shown it is an efficient formula to clearly communicate immense complex concepts - such as life, death and even the great beyond - and also to reach a common interpretation. A collective voyage of sorts between the rational and the irrational.

This symbiosis has generated a large visual legacy, which has proved essential for the evolution of art history. An endless source of symbols which has been a reference and an inspiration for artists of all times.

Furthering his exploration of the aesthetic commandments and symbols of different cultures, Okuda San Miguel offers up a new and highly personal consideration of Christian symbols.

On the one hand, this re-interpretation shows his admiration for the ability to invoque existential yearnings through the aesthetics of this movement - on the other hand, it connects with the visual codes of a reality and a point in time which need to be seen through a new prism in order to be understood, or at least justified.

Okuda thinks religions - in the past - and the social structure - currently - have ended up removing us from god, who actually lives within every one. And, in a state of affairs, in a global society whose value system keeps us away from the spiritual, which barely connects us and does not really unite us, the individual is often constrained to find his own faith.

 Consequently, the artist's proposal is an Okudism of sorts, taking the shape of a reflexion on our own existence from the point of view of admiration for the value of art and its connexion to the values of religions. A personal vision of the religious and the sacred from the perspective of its spiritual connexion to art and to the historical context in which said vision takes place.

OKUDA SAN MIGUEL

Santander, Spain, 1980. Lives and works in Madrid.

The unique iconographic language of Okuda San Miguel, with its geometric structures and multicolored patterns, together with his active participation in major social projects, has made him one of the world's most recognized and admired artists. 

In 2015, Okuda completed Kaos Temple, a highlight of his career in which he transformed a church converted into a skate park into a showcase for contemporary art. Since then, he has been sought out by cultural institutions and private brands across the world to work on large-scale public projects, as well as for his multifaceted studio practice, which he began in 2009. 

Okuda's repertoire includes mural and sculptural interventions and gallery exhibitions on four continents. His distinctions include being the first contemporary artist to be chosen for Valencia's prestigious Falles festival, a spectacular series of sculptures for Boston Seaport and his participation in the Titanes project, designed to promote social inclusion through art.

He also produces work on canvas, incorporating elements of embroidery and collage. His insatiable appetite for creation has also led him to experiment with other formats, such as sculpture, photography and video. 

His creations mix color and geometry with organic shapes to create an evocative symbology. Okuda's work can be classified as Pop Surrealism but maintains the essence of its roots in the streets. Always seeking to inspire viewers, his works raise universal issues while leaving the final interpretation up to them.