Artist Statement
My paintings aim to move people, freeing their minds to see the world afresh. They are not entertainment, nor they seek tested beauty. I paint to find truth beyond technology and the precision of numbers.
Background
Fernando Velázquez is a Spanish painter leaving and working in Dorset, UK. Born in Seville, his work has developed throughout his career into a highly personal language concerned with the power of nature and the imagination, evident in his series “Paintings of the Floating World”, “Through the Veil”, “Cave Paintings of our Time” and recently “Flight to Ades”” and “New Land” series presented in the UK. He has exhibited individually in London, New York and Madrid and has participated in many collective exhibitions throughout Europe and America, in addition to his presence at numerous international art fairs. In the last few years his work has been exhibited in Venice, London, Bogota, Milan, Florence and Berlin.
Fernando has received a number of commissions from private and public collections, including the Rosenberg & Kaufman Gallery in New York, for which he produced a monumental piece in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the birth of the iconic American composer, George Crumb, a collaboration with ICE (The International Contemporary Ensemble) at Symphony Space in Manhattan. His work is part of many art collections including Universal Records, London, Hotel Arts in Barcelona and the Steven Rosenberg Gallery in New York.
He has been finalist in numerous national and international competitions, including the Foundation Focus in Seville, the Tribe Prize at Edgar Modern in Bath, the Marshwood Vale Art Awards in Bridport, Dorset amongst others, also winning the Dorchester Open Exhibition Prize and the international Art Prize Artzine in 2018. In 2022 Fernando was included in the publication “Interviews with Artists”, promoting the best of Contemporary Art around the world. In 2023 he exhibited at the Florence Biennale 2023 and with the prestigious London Group. In 2024 his work was part of the Discerning Eye in London and in 2025, he was finalist at the Artists Prize in Berlin.
Fernando Velázquez is a self-taught artist who has a distinctive voice in contemporary art and a unique vision that echoes the great art of the past whilst creating a new universe of visual responses to our time.
Exhibitions
2026
Paintings for a New Era of Innocence, Sculptures by the
Lakes Gallery, Dorchester, (Solo)
The Flux Exhibition, The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London.
The Contemporary Art Fair, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris.
Brussels International Art Fair, Brussels.
Dorset Art Weeks, Class Creative Studios, Sherborne
2025
Flight to Ades, The Corn Exchange, Dorchester, UK (Solo)
New Land, Studio Sherborne, Sherborne, UK (Solo)
Artist Prize BBA Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
Winter Show, Gallery by the Lakes, Dorset
Somerton Open, Dorset
2024
Lanterns and Whispers, The Old Tannery Studios, Yeovil, Somerset, UK (Solo)
The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
Thomson Gallery, Zug, Switzerland
Casa del Arte, Palma, Spain
Gallerie Agnes Nord, Paris
Artbox Projects, ArtExpo Basel, Euroairport, Basel, Switzerland
2023
Storm and Lights, The Old Tannery Studios, Yeovil, Somerset, UK (Solo)
Transvoid, The Wirth Gallery, The Merritt Centre, Sherborne, UK (Solo)
Florence Biennale, Italy
London Group Open, Copeland Gallery, London
Marshwood Art Awards and John Hubbard Prize, Allsop Gallery, Bridport
2022
Transvoid, The Garage Door Gallery, Cirencester, UK
2020
Hulabhaig 2020, Hulabhaig Gallery, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
2019
In the Beginning, David Lolly Gallery, Cambridge, UK (Solo)
The Fountain Gallery, London (Solo)
Summer Art Exhibition, The Dragon Gallery, Petworth, UK
Start Art Fair, The Saatchi Gallery, London, The Dragon Gallery
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, David Lolly Gallery, Cambridge, UK
Sussex Art Fair, Goodwood Racecourse, The Dragon Gallery, Petworth, UK
Cambridge Open Art Exhibition, University of Cambridge, UK
Aeon, Mad Gallery, Milan, Italy
2018
Animas, The Bowridge Gallery, Dorset, UK (Solo)
Flux, Chelsea College of Arts, London
Flux Exhibition, Greenwich Peninsular Art Placement, London
2017
New Work, Bowridge Gallery, Dorset, UK (Solo)
Secret Auction, Royal West of England Academy, RWA Bristol
Summer Show, Atkinson Gallery, Street, UK
Consciousness, Anima Mundi International Arts Festival, Venice, Italy
Gallery Artists, Bowridge Gallery, Dorset UK
United, Gologorski Gallery, Krakow, Poland
Alchemy Body Fire-Air-Earth-Water, Jorge Jurado Gallery, Bogota, Colombia
National Youth Arts Trust Auction, Rise Art, London
2016
Interrogating Materials, Durlston, Dorset Visual Arts
Art in Hospitals, Dorset Visual Arts, Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester
Bowridge Gallery, Dorset
164 Annual Art Exhibition, Royal West Academy, Bristol
2015
Layers and Light, Rise Art, London.
2014
Cave Paintings of our Time, Dorchester Arts (Solo)
Royal West Art Academy 162nd Exhibition 2014, RWA, Bristol.
Pop Up Dorset, Jacksons Gallery, Portland, UK
Evolver Prize 2014, Atkinson Gallery, Street, UK
The Tribe Prize 2014, Edgar Modern, Bath, UK
2013
Dorchester Open 2013, Dorchester Arts Centre, UK
Marshwood Arts Awards 2013, Bridport Arts centre, Dorset, UK
Royal West Art Academy 161th Exhibition 2013, RWA, Bristol
2012
New paintings, Hilfield Manor Gallery, McMaster Tims, Sherborne, Dorset, UK
Pop Up Dorset Open Exhibition, Portland, Dorset, UK
2011
Through the Veil, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset (Solo)
Waterfields, Mcmaster Tims Contemporary, Sherborne, UK (Solo)
Contemporary Art, McMaster Tims, Jersey, UK
Un Verano para recordar, Hotel Isabel de Farnesio, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Biondetta Art Gallery, Madrid
2010
Timeless, Biondetta Art Gallery, Madrid (Solo)
Selected Works, The Gallery at Hilfield Manor, Dorset
Salon Millesime, Madrid. Biondetta Art Gallery, Spain
Contemporary Paintings and Sculpture, The Air gallery, London
Feria DeArte, Biondetta Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Luz y Alma a 360, Padula & Partners, Biondetta Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Summer Exhibition, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, UK
2009
Causalidad-Casualidad, Galería Punto-Arte, Barcelona, Spain.
Works on Paper, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset, UK
The Ormeley Dinner, The Ecology Trust and The Aspinall Foundation, London
Jamaica Street Artists, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol
2008
Fernando Velázquez, Oliver Holt Gallery, Sherborne, Dorset (Solo)
Paintings of the Floating World, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset, (Solo)
Cuevas, McMaster Tims Contemporary Art, London, (Solo)
Gallery Artists, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset
2007
Margins, Sherborne House Open, Sherborne, Dorset, UK
2006
Modern Art Fair, Study Gallery, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset, UK
2005
Panel/Canvas/Paper, Rosenberg & Kaufman Fine Art, New York
Gallery Artists, Harris Interiors Gallery, Poole, Dorset, UK
2004
Floating Worlds, George Crumb/Fernando Velázquez,
Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre,
Symphony Space. Sound/Image Event, New York
(Un)Convention, Rosenberg & Kaufman Fine Art, New York
Summer Exhibition, Rosenberg & Kaufman Fine Art, New York
2003
Paintings of the Floating World, Rosenberg & Kaufman Gallery, New York (Solo)
Art for Youth, The Mall Galleries, London
Summer Exhibition, Rosenberg & Kaufman Fine Art, New York
2001
Abstraction, Rosenberg & Kaufman Gallery, New York
Bergdoff Goodman, New York
Starting a Collection, Art First, Cork Street, London
2000
Night Paintings, E1 Gallery, London (Solo)
Art 2000, E1 Gallery, Contemporary Art Fair, London
New Elemental, E1 Gallery, London, ART Paris
1999
Taking Shape, Woodlands Gallery, London (Solo)
Vital Art’99, Cowcross Street Gallery, E1 Gallery, London
Art London 1999, E1 Gallery, London
Round Chapel Festival, Round Chapel, London
1998
New Art, Chelsea College of Art, London
1997
Recent Works, Madelaine Pearson Gallery,
Islington Arts Factory, London, UK, (Solo)
Let’s Go Down the King’s Road, Artists in Residence Kensington & Chelsea College, London
1996
Focus National Painting Competition, Finalist, Focus Foundation, Seville, Spain
1995
Pintura del Otro, Youth Gallery, Seville, Spain, (Solo)
New Creators, Oriel Theatre, Mold-Clyd, Wales
New Creators, History Institute, Lancaster, UK
Lillian Palley Visual Arts, Oakland, California, USA
1994
Pintura de Finales, Mestizo Art Festival,
Caballerias Gallery, Murcia, Spain (Solo)
Pintura de Finales, Muralla Bizantina Gallery, Cartagena, Spain (Solo)
Hotel Arts’94, Egam Gallery, Madrid; Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Spain
Dark City Lights, Granados 2 Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Dada, Down Town Lives ’94, Los Angeles, USA
1993
Prints & Drawings, Miroslav Perkovic Workshop, Mojacar, Spain (Solo)
1992
National Contest for Painters’92, Chicarreros Gallery, Seville, Spain
Young Creators, Borron Gallery, Oviedo, Spain 1992
With another View, Universal Exhibition Expo 92 Seville.
1991
Young Creators, Regional Assembly, Cartagena, Spain
Young Art, Babel Gallery, Murcia, Spain
1989
National Painting Competition, Almudi Centre of Art
Mediterranean Savings Bank, Spain
International Meeting for Young Artists, European Council, Berlin, Germany
Cultural Exchange, Madrid, Spain
Young Art Exhibition, School of Architecture, Murcia, Spain
National Painting Competition, Mediterranean Savings Bank, Spain
1988
Regional Competition for Visual Art, Murcia, Spain
National Competition for Visual Art, Valencia, Spain
New Creators, San Esteban Church, Murcia, Spain
Prizes and Awards
Artist Prize 2025, BBA Gallery, Berlin
Marshwood Arts Awards. Painting Prize 2023
Abstraction, Taravarna Gallery Los Angeles, 2023 Talent Prize
Artzine 2018 Winner
Dorchester Open 2013 Exhibition Prize
Evolver Prize 2014, Atkinson Gallery, Street, Finalist
The Tribe Prize 2014, Edgar Modern, Bath, Finalist
Marshwood Vale Art Awards 2014
Focus National Painting Competition, Seville 1996, Finalist.
Bibliography
Dictionary of Art in Britain since 1945
Madeleine Pearson Gallery, Islington Arts Factory Exhibitions, Denzil Forrester, London 1997
New Elemental Aesthetic, E1 Gallery, Ivan Tennant, London 2000
Night paintings, Essay by Simon Groom, London, 2000
Altered Images, The Sunday Times Magazine, Ria Higgins, 2000
The Dictionary of Art in Britain since 1945, David Buckman, 2001-2011
Fernando Velázquez, Rosenberg and Kaufman Gallery, New York, Samuel Lloyd Thomas, 2003
Sound/Image, Rosenberg and Kaufman Gallery, New York. Essay by Nikki Cesare, 2003
Putting you in the picture, Dorset Echo, 2003
Floating Worlds, George Crumb/Fernando Velázquez, New York Times, Jeremy Eichler, 2004
Art on Demand, Art and Antiques in America, Margaret Littman, 2004
Fernando Velázquez, Oliver Holt Gallery, Sherborne. Andrew Stooke, 2008
The Sherborne Review, 2008
Mind Fields, Dorset Magazine, Stephen Swanns, 2010
Light and Soul at 360 degrees. Carmen Mendez, Expansion, Madrid 2010
Evolver Magazine. Exhibit A 2011
Tusk Modern Art Auction, Bafta. The Telegraph, Anoosh Chakelian 2011
Katherine Locke talks to Fernando Velazquez, Marshwood Vale Magazine. May 2014
Fernando Velazquez, Interview with Fiona Robinson, Evolver Magazine. May 2014
Fernando Velazquez on the Spotlight, Rise Art Feature, 2015
Studio Talks with Fernando Velazquez, FineArtSeen, 2016
Talullah Magazine, Interview by Daniel Dunt. May 2016
Home & Design. The Telegraph Saturday magazine, October 2016
50 Internantional Artists to watch in 2017, Talullah Magazine, December 2016
Luca Curcci talks to Fernando Velazquez. Interview. Its Liquid Venice 2017
Visions. The Flux Exhibition. Flux Magazine, London 2018
Interview with Fernando Velazquez. Singulart Magazine 2018
Artists in Lockdown, Marshwood Magazine, 2020
Interview with Artists Altiba 9, 2022
Artist at work, Sherborne Times 2023
Collections
Hotel Arts Contemporary Art Collection, Barcelona
Universal Records, London
Stephen Rosenberg, New York
Solterra, Burgos, Spain
Biondetta Art Gallery, Madrid
Editorial La Muralla, Madrid
Punto Art Gallery, Barcelona
The Dragon Gallery, Sussex, UK
Coleccion Lidio Nieto, Spain