Portaolaya. Spanish artist born in Bilbao. He is a modern realism artist, with a delicate and perfectionist technique that is reminiscent of the great masters of art.

 

In his works, we can find all kinds of themes: still life that conveys the taste and smell of fruit, Basque seascapes with their unmistakable fishing boats that invite you to smell the fresh aroma of the sea, or delicate figures with period fabrics that transport you to a romantic era. Portaolaya, like all great masters, executes his works in oils, revealing to the viewer a world of colour with details that render you speechless before his masterpieces.

 

His interest in art started at a very young age. Supported by his family, he travelled to Barcelona to commence his education in art. He studied Fine Arts at the Massana School in Barcelona, where he trained for two years. There he learnt different genres and techniques, and through his experimentation, he developed his own personal painting style.

 

It was there that his teachers recognized Portaolaya's skill and dexterity in modern realism. They encouraged him to go to Madrid, where he would be able to perfect his realism technique at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts, a institute that only accepts the most skilled artists. He studied there for a further three years. Such was his mastery that he was invited to teach fine arts at the Escorial School in Agustinos. He taught for a year, however his creative curiosity led him to experiment in other fields. For seven years, he worked in advertising for Plasbil (Bilbao), where he produced large-format creative art pieces. Later, he was selected by Movierrecord Films (Madrid), once again demonstrating his creativity in the production of film posters.

 

He is currently an entrepreneur and runs his own business in the restaurant and hospitality sector. During his career, he has held exhibitions in Madrid, at the Centre for Modern Art in Portugal, at the Gallery Müller in Zurich, and Galeria Amate in Paris, as well as numerous other galleries