Sebastián Espejo

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Sebastián Espejo is a Chilean artist currently based in London. To understand his work, it is important to consider his artistic education, which initially led him to adopt a sceptical stance and to question artistic practice from a strictly intellectual and critical perspective. Although this approach was conscious and thought-provoking, it became limiting for him, as it prevented a natural flow in the creative process and led to a constant self-judgement of his work.

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After completing his studies in Visual Arts from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Espejo took an extended break from the art world and opened a bakery, which he ran for seven years. However, during the pandemic and lockdowns, he returned to painting. This marked a turning point in his artistic path: he was able to free himself from the restrictive thought patterns that had previously shaped his creative process, allowing him to explore a more intuitive and sustainable approach, focused on enjoyment and the pursuit of a more genuine personal expression.

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A key aspect of this new stage was his approach to beauty as a driving force behind his creativity. Unlike in his academic training—where beauty was often seen as superficial or insufficient as a sole artistic aim—Espejo came to see it as a legitimate source of motivation. His intention was no longer to intellectually justify his work, but to be moved by what he created and to translate that emotion into a visual language.

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Reflecting on his process, Espejo describes his practice as follows:

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“As I walk, I encounter objects—often fragments—that feel destined. I gather them to build my model. I listen to them. I listen to my painting. Often, these are shadow objects, shadow organisms.
These small things form an altar—one that denies, affirms, and gives shape to the world’s polarities through painting: a practice intimately bound to attention. A tool for reaching outward with a sense of belonging.”

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This return to painting, grounded in freedom and emotion, connects deeply with a Chilean pictorial tradition described as descriptive realism, a term coined by painter Adolfo Couve. This style is defined by its attempt to capture fleeting moments through a natural visual language, rooted in a direct and sensory relationship with the object or subject depicted. Couve was a central figure in the Chilean realist school, which spans three generations of artists, including Natalia Babarovic, his former student and later colleague.

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This group has been recognised for its rigorous pursuit of beauty, portraying objects as they are, without embellishment. Sebastián Espejo sees himself as an inheritor of this tradition and its artistic philosophy. He also studied under two prominent teachers closely linked to this aesthetic, including Alejandra Wolff and Voluspa Jarpa, who has played a key role in preserving and passing on this artistic lineage.