Art in the Community Presents Cristian Olea: Ecce Homo (Behold the Man)

Artist Feature:

Cristian Olea (b. 1979, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an interdisciplinary artist who captures portraits of people that catch his attention on his walks throughout the city. Olea has lived and worked in North Vancouver since 2021.

From a very young age Olea had always been interested in drawing and painting. He has learned from several renowned international artists. Olea started working with live models in his time studying at the atelier of Roberto Paez in 2005, who mentored him on developing his own formal style and artistic gesture. From this point onward, Olea began to think of his artistic practice as a ritualistic endeavour. His education with Anibal Cedron led Olea to approach art making from a more mischievous place. Olea also participated in a seminar with German Gargano that focused on the psychology of colour theory.

In Olea’s practice, he depicts his city characters in soft pastels and oil paint, relying on little else except his art materials and initial encounter of these strangers. He develops an unconscious and intuitive connection to his artistic subjects while creating his portraits. He aims for each portrait to “speak for itself” once it has emerged on paper. Finding inspiration from real life, the artist aims for his characters to exist in a realm that is both fascinating and terrifying. He believes that meaning can be found in our world if we embrace its complexities, as a universal human core capable of both greatness and misery. The artist’s portraits work to reflect this human core, acting as testaments to reflect our shared struggles and triumphs as humans. In his creations, Olea seeks to represent the raw beauty that lies within each one of us.