Born in Venezuela, José Llavaneras studied at the Rafael Monasterios School of Art from 1995 to 2000. With over 15 years of experience as a professor of drawing, crafts and mixed media at the Institute of Graphic Design, he eventually founded his own art school, where he developed a unique and personal methodology for teaching art. His career includes more than 30 exhibitions across Venezuela, Spain, France, the United States, and Canada. He has received numerous awards as an emerging artist, including recognition from the International Association of Art Critics.

His work insists on attention to detail, line, and drawing as the main elements of his composition. One can see a powerful influence of surrealism, stained glass, expressionism, and the strength shown in Picasso’s drawings.

“My work is honest, free from postmodern cynicism and unbound by the repetition of themes or techniques. The bold, deliberate line dances with the subtlety of the theme, the hidden words, and the smallest compositional elements – creating a harmony where meaning is shaped by the viewer. In that space, the viewer becomes the true artist, recomposing each element through memories, dreams and experiences.”

Born into surrealism, rebellious by conviction, inspired by Picasso, Magritte, Reveron, Zapata, Lautrec, and others. Some days monochromatic; other days exploding with color. “You as a spectator, give life to my work because when it exists, it is only for you to recognize yourself in it.”