TORCH Site Logo
  • ARTISTS
  • EXHIBITIONS
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ARTISTS
  • EXHIBITIONS
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT

Luis Xertu Artist Profile Photo

Luis Xertu


Mexico City, 1985

Xertu moved to the Netherlands in 2004. After he graduated from the Rietveld Academy, he developed his painterly visual language working within the performing arts, where he worked both as a designer and created works that experimented with the medium of theater and dance. His scenic artworks have been shown in the Dutch pavilion of the Venice Biënnale and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. In his pictorial work, Xertu combines the analogue and the digital; photographing models, painting them, using Photoshop to decide the composition of the surrounding nature, and meticulously gluing plants directly onto the canvas to create large scale paintings with stark compositions. Drawing from mythological references, he explores themes of time and ageing, incorporating the decay of real plants as elements of transformation, which can take several years to happen. He was nominated for the Royal Award for Modern Painting 2019 and was awarded the Audience Prize.

  • Artworks/Exhibitions
  • CV
Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylic on canvas, Overgrown, 2020

OVERGROWN, 2020

plants, acrylic on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

OVERGROWN

plants, acrylic on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylic, oxidated copper on canvas, Well-Fed Dogs Out on a Hunt, 2021

WELL-FED DOGS OUT ON A HUNT, 2021

plants, acrylic, oxidated copper on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

WELL-FED DOGS OUT ON A HUNT

plants, acrylic, oxidated copper on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylic on canvas, Chaser I (Hunter, Gatherer), 2021

CHASER I (HUNTER, GATHERER), 2021

plants, acrylic on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

CHASER I (HUNTER, GATHERER)

plants, acrylic on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylic on canvas, Chaser II (Hunter, Gatherer), 2021

CHASER II (HUNTER, GATHERER), 2021

plants, acrylic on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

CHASER II (HUNTER, GATHERER)

plants, acrylic on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, The Number Two, 2020

THE NUMBER TWO, 2020

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

THE NUMBER TWO

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, God's First Creature, 2016

GOD'S FIRST CREATURE, 2016

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

GOD'S FIRST CREATURE

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, Young Kronos, 2019

YOUNG KRONOS, 2019

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

YOUNG KRONOS

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, The Three Fates, 2019

THE THREE FATES, 2019

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

THE THREE FATES

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, Hylas Decides to Not Return, 2020

HYLAS DECIDES TO NOT RETURN, 2020

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

HYLAS DECIDES TO NOT RETURN

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu, Plants, acrylics on canvas, The Voyeur, 2019

THE VOYEUR, 2019

Plants, acrylics on canvas
Luis Xertu

View

THE VOYEUR

Plants, acrylics on canvas

Luis Xertu

Exhibitions

  • In Nature Nobody Would Care For You Either

    Luis Xertu
    11 Mar 2023 - 29 Apr 2023

    View

    In Nature Nobody Would Care For You Either

    Luis Xertu

    11 Mar 2023 - 29 Apr 2023

CV :

Exhibitions, Performances, and Installations
2019 – Royal Palace Amsterdam, NL - Group exhibition 'Royal Award for Modern Painting 2019'
2019 – Cinédanse Ottawa 2019, CA - Screening of the film 'Ecclesiastes'
2019 – WTC Rotterdam Gallery, NL - Group exhibition 'An Unexpected View'
2018 – Gloss Gallery Tel Aviv, IL - Solo exhibition
2017 – De Kracht van Rotterdam, NL 
2016 – LifeisArt Gallery, BE 
2016 – Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, NL - Performative Intervention 'To Come Between'
2016 – De Kracht van Rotterdam, NL 
2016 – Frans Masereel Centrum, BE 
2016 –  Sismo Gallery, MX 
2016 – Galerie Partners Rotterdam, NL 
2016 – Moving Futures, NL - Performance of 'The Fool' throughout several theaters in The Netherlands.
2015 – Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, NL - 'Durational Dance Object' during 24 Uur Cultuur festival.
2015 – Festival Why Not, NL - Screening of the film 'Ecclesiastes'.
2014 – De Aanschouw Gallery, NL
2012 – Galeria Patricia Bernal, MX
2011 – La Biennale di Venezia, IT - Photo-installation during the Carnevale dei ragazzi festival.
2010 – Galerie Chinaski, NL
2009 – Centrum Beeldende Kunst in Rotterdam, NL
2009 – Rietveld Academy, NL
2008 – Kaap Biennale, NL
2008 – Tweetakt TheaterFestival, NL
2008 – Culturele Zondag Utrecht, NL

Concept development for film and performance
​2017 – VPRO documentary Vieze Film, NL with Robin Vogel
2014/17 – Sabine Groenewegen, NL
2016 – Dansateliers Rotterdam, NL
2015 – Dansateliers Rotterdam, NL
2014 – Nederlandse Dansdagen, Performing Gender, Dansateliers Rotterdam, NL
2013/14 – Dansateliers Rotterdam

Education / residencies
2015 – Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, NL with Dancing Museums
2015 – Frans Masereel Centrum, BE
2007/09 – (BFA) Diploma in Audiovisuele kunst, Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam.
2005/07 – Illustratie, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Utrecht.
2004 – Visual Arts, La Esmeralda - National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking, Mexico City.

Teaching
2011/12 – Artemis Academy - Digital Communication


Opening hours
Thursday - Saturday 12:00-18:00

FOLLOW US

SHARE
TORCH gallery | Lauriergracht 94| 1016 RN | Amsterdam | [email protected] | +31 (0)20 626 02 84
fueled by vPatina
×