Freddy LEIVA

Born in 1992 in Bronx, NY

Lives and works in Manhattan, NY

ABOUT THE ARTIST

In painting I’ve always naturally gravitated towards the line. The line serves me as a starting point that allows me to investigate the intersection between drawing and painting. In my latest work I pursue this further into sculpture, and seek to explore the material limits of paper. This is reflected both aesthetically and in my technique, in the materials I use and how I apply them onto the surface. I manipulate the paper first by carefully destroying it with my hands and then I rebuild it by creating a skeletal structure through collaged paper. The result is a 3 dimensional sculptural object with a textured and layered surface. My paintings always begin with abstract and very physical gestures, such as Jean Dubuffet’s Hourloupe cycle and the paintings of the COBRA artists. I draw inspiration from the native art of ancient civilizations and prehistoric origin myths. My recent paintings are about the paradox of emptiness that at once unites us and divides us. I seek to express the contrast between being and emptiness, as a reflection of life and by using the blackest and mattest paint possible.