Mario Soria is a painter from Barcelona, Spain who uses 3D objects in his surreal paintings to portray a visual complexity. Occasionally he incorporates black and white portraits of legendary or celebrity figures like Albert Einstein or Woody Allen to mix pop art with a dash of colour around them. A closer look into his paintings reveal many 3D objects intricately pierced into his irregularly shaped paintings that you begin to study another layers of information or stories within the frame. A lot is always happening in the paintings of Mario Soria… even the sides and the back panels of his artwork are worked upon in unique fashion. Mario rightly expects from viewers of his art to see and understand his work at many levels and dimensions. A bit shy for words, Mario shares some facts with us about himself and his art:

Hello Mario, please tell us about yourself:

I was born and I’m based in Barcelona, Spain. I’m autodidact and I’m a full time artist.

When did you discover the passion for art in you?

Since I was a little kid. I remember it was summer and I was fourteen years old, a drawing of a boat on which I persisted and worked on it during a lot of time until I was satisfied, made me think that I want to be an artist.

One of my milestones was when I discovered that abstraction was not taking me anywhere, and I changed my style. I thought that my artwork needed more dedication and time.

What is the purpose of your art… your artist’s statement?

It means everything to me and it is my profession and all that I do. I wake up painting and go to bed painting. My paintings are thought to be seeing from regular distance and closer distance where people can “read” two different paintings in one, I mean, from regular distance people could see a still life, but from a closer distance can observed little characters telling their own story making of still life elements their scenery.

I like to play with canvas laterals, I put legos, smashed soda cans, colour pencils, or just paint on them. I also like to make time capsules on canvas backside (only the owner can see them) and sometimes add objects as little persons, trees or “warms” attached to magnets and surprise people.

I think the same that happens to anybody else who loves what they do…As an example a film producer sees a landscape and thinks about it like a new location. To me I’m like a hunter thinking what to create with all the things that cross my eyes.

It appears that your artwork takes considerable time. How do you create an average piece?

My work process is very slow, I take so much care in details. I usually paint less than 30 paintings per year. I am always working, I paint everyday, from Monday to Sunday, usually in two or more paintings at the same time.

I consider a painter must have crafty hands and then become an artist. I develop a central idea and it starts to grow while I work on it. I let the painting “talk” to me and then more ideas come during its process. Is like a good wine I let them settle and then back to paint again on them.

Why does surrealism interest you so much?

Because it mixes creativity with technique and talent. I think of them as ingredients that give me a lot of freedom while I am working on an artwork.

What else do you find very challenging beside your art?

Sculpture. I would like to work on 3 dimensions.

What would you call your peculiar style?

I don’t think my art has a specific kind but it has a little of American pop art, European surrealism, and traditional art. If I had to put a name to it, it would be “Surrealism interstellar pop”.

Tell us about your achievements?

My biggest achievement is to continue doing what I enjoy the most.

What are your views on contemporary art?

I see now there is more freedom in art. There are certain tendencies but at the end everyone does what they want. There is not any predominant movement… not anymore.

What are your future plans and ambitions?

I would like to be better everyday.

Tell us about your sources of inspiration, favorite artists and motivations:

My inspiration are world cultural icons and advertising. My favorite artists are Velazquez, Modigliani, Bosch, Dalí; and my motivations are household bills.

Mario Soria links : Website | Behence | Facebook

Note : All art images used with permission. Please do not copy or distribute without the approval of the artist.