From Hidden Passion to Artistic Sensation: The Story of Cesc Abad

Exploring the Relationship Between Man and Nature Through Art

We are thrilled to share with you our new interview with contemporary artist Cesc Abad, a Catalan artist we discovered on instagram for our article on contemporary ceramics. 

Abad's art is a testament to his love for nature and his ability to capture its essence through various mediums. 

From oil painting to ceramics, Abad's work speaks to his deep appreciation for the natural world and his desire to convey its beauty to others.

In this interview, Abad discusses his journey as an artist, from the early years of hiding his passion to finally dedicating himself to his craft full-time.

He shares insights into his creative process, offering a glimpse into how he transforms his ideas into breathtaking works of art.

Join us as we delve into the world of Cesc Abad, a true master of contemporary art committed to nature and man.

10 Questions

1. Who is Cesc Abad? Please introduce yourself and your work. 

I'm a Catalan artist who finds inspiration in the Pyrenees forest.

My work reflects the relationship between man and nature. 

2. You grew up in Barcelona and due to some unexpected tragic circumstance ended up dedicating your life to the family business for quite some years. At work you had an interesting setup: a secret room, nicknamed "the wall", right next to your office. Can you shed some light on that? ‍

This wall was created to hide my passion: painting and creating.

I thought business people and my staff would think I was weak if I loved art, and I probably couldn't use my business skills if I enjoyed art. 

3. What did the staff believe was hidden behind the wall? I imagine there must have been a lot of rumors? What was the craziest one?

I was always stronger with their questions or rumors, but I remember one.

They commented maybe I was keeping my wine collection, and it was fun because everyone knew I am abstemious.

4.Can you describe the themes and techniques that you explored then and the ones you explore today in your work? ‍

I always paint with oil and acrylic.

The possibilities in this studio let me explore photography technique in big size, video art and sculpture.

Always looking for new results, new esthetic appearance without forgetting nature, the forest and the relationship with man. 

5. What was your first studio like after the “Wall”? Where is your studio now? ‍

When I decided to pull out of the business, I looked for a new studio in an older factory, from the twenty century.

It was a fabric factory, with a high roof, big windows and colder too.

My studio is located in the center of the city, behind the central library. 

6. What does a work day look like? Any rituals, times? Do you listen to music? If yes, what did you listen to most lately whilst painting? ‍

I try to have a timetable.

I paint the whole day, mornings and afternoons.

In the mornings I reflect on the previous work and I spend the time organizing the studio, and in the afternoon I start to paint, and paint, and paint or make sculpture, it depends on the week or the projects where I’m working. 

I like listening to music and the radio, and I prefer listening to relevant podcasts. 

7. What is your creative process? Do you have a title, an idea or a visual, do you start with sketches? ‍

When you want to develop a theme, you have to draw much in order to explore all the possibilities, even in a conceptual way and in the visual way.

When you start to work, the canvas rejects or admits ideas.

In my work the rectification is constantly even though I have clear what I want to do.

The result is not always how you want.

If the result is better than you thought, you keep it, but if it is worse, you have to start again. 

8. Your ceramics are breathtaking. Do you paint and do ceramics at the same time or are there periods for one or the other. Do the paintings and the ceramics interconnect with their stories? ‍

I work in different periods of ceramic and painting.

In fact, I have different spaces for each one.

The paintings try to show the relationship with man and nature and the sculpture tries to explain many stories where you can see passion, carnal desire, hate, meditation and more human feelings. 

9. Can you walk us through the above painting called Star Wars. Tell us a bit about the process and the idea behind it. ‍

First of all the picture is framed with four trunks in the form of a window, with the idea of separating the real world with the fictional world I have created.

In that world man is becoming nature .

The shirt is what makes him join the current man to see us reflected in him.

Man may remind us of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, but transformation is not traumatic. 

10. Before we wrap up, are there any exciting future or present projects you'd like to share with our readers? ‍

I’m so excited with the next exhibitions in Essen, Paris, Shanghai and Luxembourg, even a big exhibition in Seoul in 2024. 

Short Bio: 

I was born in Barcelona in 1973, the only son of a family dedicated to the family business.

My father paid for my first workshop under the condition of working in his local business.

During these first few years I experimented with art and presented it in different art galleries.

Everything was going well until my father suddenly died when I was 21 years old. 

Without even having time to think about it, I found myself at the head of my father’s business.

In this period I felt that my passion for painting made me weak in the eyes of my business colleagues, so I decided to hide it.

Having enough free time and savings, I decided to install a large workshop at work in the strictest secrecy.

After living a double life for the most part of twenty years, I decided to sell my companies in 2016 and dedicate myself exclusively to creating pieces of art.

Therefore, I moved to a more modest studio and began to prepare work to show the world.

I decide that already it is not a secret. 

Nowadays I’m living my dream.

I’m an artist the whole day and I’m spending time creating to reach a wide audience. 

Follow the artist on Instagram:

Short CV: 

CESC ABAD (Barcelona 1973)
Lives and works in Terrassa (Barcelona) 

EDUCATION

2017 - 2018 Terrassa School of Arts and Crafts / ceramics 2008 - 2009 Barcelona Film School / photography
1990 - 1994 Studio of Martínez Lozano in Terrassa /painting 

‍

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS

‍2022 Caelis Gallery / Shanghai / China
2022 Simchowitz Gallery / Los Angeles / Usa
2022 Art Lab / Victor Lope Gallery / Barcelona / Selected Works
2022 Gallery Victor lope contemporary art / Madrid / Urvanity Fair
2021 Gallery Exhibit Lab / Santander / Caprichos
2021 Gallery Victor Lope contemporary art / Madrid / Urvanity Fair
2021 Trinta Gallery / Santiago de Compostela / The perfume of an idea
2021 Rarity Gallery / Mykonos / Dystopian Motion
2020 Gallery Victor Lope Contemporary art / Barcelona / Dystopian landscape 2020 Werner Thöni Artspace / Barcelona / You are the weapon 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022 Caelis Gallery / Shanghai / China
2022 Victor Lope Gallery / Madrid Art Fair / Madrid
2022 Trinta Gallery / JustMad Fair / Madrid /
2022 Gallery Exhibit Lab / Salón Feria / Madrid /
2021 Gallery Victor Lope / Fair Artmadrid / Madrid / Sculptures Garden of life
2021 Gallery Victor Lope / Feria Estampa / Madrid / Sculptures Garden of life
2020 Victor Lope Gallery / Barcelona / Identities
2020 Victor Lope Gallery /Invitation Fair / Barcelona / Dystopian Garden
2020 Museu Can Framis Fundació Vila Casas / Barcelona / Càpsules de confinament 2020 Galería Trinta / Salón Feria / Lisbon / Dystopian Art History
2020 Gallery Victor Lope /Feria Estampa / Madrid / Dystopian sculptures 

COLLECTIONS (selection)

Fundació Vila Casas / Barcelona
Banca Mora / Andorra Email form
Mutual Art Centre / Barcelona
Sebastian Vettel Collection / Switzerland Daniel Cardani Collection /Madrid
MER Foundation Collection / Madrid Stefan Simchowitz Collection / Los Angeles Holm oak collection / Madrid
Albert Madaula Collection / Barcelona Antoni Morell Collection / Andorra Collection Carles Barrera / Viella Josep Soler Collection / Barcelona
Cernuda Collection / Barcelona
Rosa Clemente and Juan Manuel Sánchez Collection / Madrid Miguel Fernández Cid Collection / Vigo
Varela Fariña Collection 

Exhibitions, residencies, awards

2023 The Curator Room Gallery/ Madrid/ Urvanity fair. 2022 The Curator Room Gallery/ The Netherland 2022 Caelis Gallery / Shanghai / China
2022 Simchowitz Gallery / Los Angeles / Usa 

2022 Art Lab / Victor Lope Gallery / Barcelona / Selected Works 2022 Gallery Victor lope contemporary art / Madrid / Urvanity Fair 

Awards:

Casa de Indias. 2023. Urvanity Fair. 

‍

A very big thank you to Cesc for sharing his work and story with us to share with you!