Susana Ragel was born in Madrid in 1981. One of her first formative contacts with art was when she chose to study Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid between 2000 and 2005. Like all artists, her work has evolved and taken different paths that have led her to become the painter she is today.
"When I began to dedicate myself professionally to this, I wasn't sure if I just wanted to paint, or if I should incorporate other artistic disciplines into my work, such as sculpture, video art, or virtual painting. I was touching too many areas and that made me lose focus", Susana says on her website. However, after years dedicated to studying, she concluded that "what really motivates me, at least for the moment, is painting". Perhaps this, according to the artist, has meant that her work has gained "in maturity and quality".
TOPICS OF SUSANA RAGEL'S WORK
If there is one thing that characterizes Susana, it is that, through her work, she is constantly searching for an emotional connection with the viewer. It will be seen later on, but her paintings reflect situations that tell stories in which the viewer plays a leading role. In the following sections, you will be able to appreciate the evolution of the artist over the last few years of her career.
SUSANA RAGEL'S PROJECTS
Susana Ragel's work could be divided into different projects that the artist has carried out. Below are some of them:
GREEN PROJECT (2010-2013)
As we explained before, this is how her work is perceived, and this is also how she reflects it: "I have focused on working with the human figure in a depersonalised way, that is to say, I don't want the person portrayed to be recognised, I want anyone to be able to feel in the skin of the character who appears in each painting. I want the viewer to be able to capture sensations beyond the portrait, I try not to make frontal figures, which always create excessive tension for the viewer".
The portrait and the female figure were her bet at that time, as "they make me feel more identified and I think that there is a bigger part of who I am in each one of them". In addition to this, she also devoted time to studying and portraying "contained movement, with those moments between pause and action, or when something that is in movement seems to remain suspended for a few moments".
Helechosa, 50x50cm, oil on board
Se me va la olla, 50x60cm, oil on board
LOOKING AT FEDERICO WITH EYES CLOSED 2018
The history of this project is somewhat curious. She herself says that a year earlier, returning from the opening of an exhibition in London with the painter Annika Talsi, the idea for "Looking at Federico with closed eyes 2018" was born. The point is that, when he finishes with one work, until the next one begins, "a deep feeling of emptiness usually invades me, a feeling that takes a while to disappear".
Trying to prevent that feeling from coming, on the way back to Madrid he began to read Federico García Lorca, his poetry anthology "Sonetos del amor oscuro, poemas de amor y erotismo Inéditos de madurez" (Sonnets of dark love, unpublished poems of love and eroticism of maturity). He connected with the poet's words and felt that "he had to paint those metaphors".
"I don't know if it's up to the task, I really want to do more research on the subject, I think I will. Sometimes I have selected metaphors, sometimes simply the feeling that a poem conveyed to me". Some of the results, below:
Silencio de trenes boca arriba, 180x195cm, oil on canvas
La casada infiel, 130x130cm, oil on canvas
CONFINEMENT PAINTING "TRAVELLING INWARDS"
Like many other artists, she also saw the quarantine imposed by the global health crisis in 2020 as an opportunity to carry out part of her pictorial work. "Travelling inwards" for her is just that, "a collaborative project in these days of not being able to go out, where we all imagine what it will be like to return to everyday life".
In fact, she saw the possibility of being able to bring back a work she had already started back in 2012: "I asked friends and acquaintances to tell me where they would like to travel, and I, through painting, tried to take them there. It was a nice project from which a series of interesting paintings emerged. Thinking about those paintings, in which the figures appeared with their eyes closed, dreaming of faraway or exotic places, it seemed to me that this was a great opportunity to take it up again". He did so by asking whoever wanted to send photographs of themselves and indicate where they would like to be in those moments.
London dream, 146x114cm, oil on canvas
SUSANA RAGEL'S TECHNIQUE
In keeping with her career and the constant evolution of her work, Susana Ragel has also tried out different techniques and supports when it comes to creating her works. "The technique is usually oil on canvas or board, although sometimes I use acrylic as a base, as the drying process is much quicker. As for the supports, there is a lot of work done on wood, many of the paintings are done in gouache, allowing the texture of the base material to show through, and wood gives very good qualities. Currently, I have returned to traditional canvas, and I am working on works that are a little more impastoed, but the line of work is similar".
SUSANA RAGEL'S WORKSHOP AT MAA
Good news! Susana Ragel will be with us on May 21 and 22 at the Madrid Academy of Art. We are waiting for you! If you would like to come, see how she works live and also create your own painting following her advice, you can book your place now!
SUSANA RAGEL'S RESUME
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
2020
“Metáforas pintadas” Sala de exposiciones Universidad de Calatayud
2019
“Ensoñaciones” Lobby Art Gallery, Madrid
2018
“Mirando a Fedrico con ojos cerrados” Individual sobre Lorca, Galería Ceferino Navarro, Granada
2017
Galería Fine Arts commission , Londres, Uk (Proyecto desarrollado con la Artista Annika Llavero Talsi)
2015
Galería Kafell, Zaragoza
Galería Red Nankim, Oporto
2013
Galería Besada, Pontevedra
2012
Galería Ceferino Navarro, Granada (Semi-individual compartida con la Artista Annika Llavero Talsi)
2011
Galería Espacio36, Zamora
2008
Susana Ragel, Caja de Ávila
“Desconocidos” Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla la Mancha (Hellín, Albacete)
2007
“Proyecto photolog; retrato anónimo”, Sala Altamira, Centro de las Artes de Alcorcón
2006
“Brumas” Galería Balboa13 (Madrid)
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2018
Museo Europeo de Arte Moderno de Barcelona
Abend Gallery Denver, Colorado, E.E.U.U.
Affordable Art Fair Battersea, Londres, Reino Unido
“Mujeres transcendes en el Arte” Museo Europeo de Arte Moderno, Barcelona
2017
Abend Gallery, Denver, Colorado, E.E.U.U.
Affordable Art Fair Bristol, Bristol, Reino Unido
Affordable Art Fair Battersea, Londres, Reino Unido
2016
S.A.CO, Feria de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla
MMA. Feria de Arte Contemporáneo de Gijón
We Art Fair, Hotel Exe Central, Madrid
Galería Iona House, Oxford Reino Unido
Galería Jordi Barnadas, Barcelona
Galería Ceferino Navarro, Granada
Galería Nando Arguelles, Tarifa
Affordable Art Fair Bristol, Bristol, Reino Unido
Affordable Art Fair Battersea, Londres, Reino Unido
Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, Londres, Reino Unido
2015
Casa de Velazquez, Madrid
Affordable Art Fair Bristol, Bristol, Reino Unido
Affordable Art Fair Battersea, Londres, Reino Unido
Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, Londres, Reino Unido
Iona House Gallerý, Oxford
2014
Galería Iona House, Oxford
Affordable Art Fair Bristol, Gran Bretaña
Galería Ceferino Navarro, Granada
Galería Santiago Echeberría, Madrid
2013
Feria Almoneda Ifema, Madrid
2012
Museo Infanta Elena, Tomelloso
Galería Santiago Echeberria, Madrid
Galería Espacio36, Zamora
2011
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo “Infanta Elena” Tomelloso
Galería Racó, Mallorca
Museo Europeo de Arte Contemporáneo MEAM, Barcelona
Fundación Fran Daurel, Barcelona
Fundación Rafael Botí, Córdoba
Galería Vieira Portuguese, Oporto, Portugal.
Galería Mada Primavesi, Madrid
2010
Facultad de Bellas Artes de Murcia
Real Casa de la Moneda, Madrid
Museo Antonio Lopez, Valdepeñas
Galería San Vicente Sevilla
Galería Artealtea Valencia
2009
Art Madrid, Galería Rita Castellote
Galería Cuatro diecisiete, exposición fondo de galería, (Madrid)
2008
Galería Cuatro Diecisiete( Madrid)
Galeria Fivars, Montepego, (Alicante )
Women´s Worlds08, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, galería artist13 (Madrid)
2007
Casa de vacas, (Madrid)
Atlanta Art festival, Atlanta E.E.U.U.
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND WORKSHOPS
2016
Bienal de pintura de Albacete, Albacete
2012
Premio adquisición Fundación Virgen de las Viñas de Tomelloso
2011
Premio adquisición “Fundación Virgen de las Viñas”, Tomelloso
2010
Adquisición de obra finalista en el Certamen de pintura figurativa , Fundación de las Artes y los Artistas de Barcelona
2009
Primer premio concurso de pintura en directo Fundación de Artes Plásticas Rafael Botí , Torrelodones Madrid
Premio adquisición Virgen de las Viñas de Tomelloso 2009, Valdepeñas
Segundo premio concurso de pintura “Mercedes Fernández” Sierra de Cazorla
2008
Beca de colaboración Fundación EspacioGuia, Santa María de Guía, Gran Canaria.
Premio adquisición certamen Arte y baloncesto de la “Fundación Pedro Ferrandiz” Madrid
Premio exhibición pictórica en el Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid para Nutricare
2007
Beca encuentro artístico de Villarcayo, (Villarcayo, Burgos)
Certamen “Entre Valles” otorgado por Torrearte S.l.. y Aprodel (Madrid).
1º mencion de honor “Certamen de pintura del dia de la mujer trabajadora” Centro Rosa de Luxemburgo, Leganés, (Madrid)
2006
1ª Mención de honor PREMIO JOVEN 2005 de la Universidad Complutense, Madrid
Premio adquisición concurso de pintura “Por tierras de Castilla”, Asociación Española de Pintores y Escultores. (Valdepeñas)
Beca “Espacio Guia” Fundación Espacioguia, (Santa María de Guía, Gran Canaria)
Beca Internacional “Encuentra Uncastillo”, Fundación Norte en colaboración con la Fundación Uncastillo (Zaragoza)
Beca “Verde”, Convivencia Artística Terra de Sanxenxo (Pontevedra, Galicia)
Beca “Pintura de paisaje, Desnudo y Naturaleza “, Fundación Santa María de Albarracín , Albarracín (Teruel)
WORKS ACQUIRED BY:
Colección Privada de David Yates, director de cine
MEAM, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Barcelona
Fundación de las Artes y los Artistas
Museo Antonio Lopez Torres
Fundación Rafael Botí
Fundación Pedro Ferrandiz
Fundación Complutense
Fundación EspacioGuia
Museo Municipal de Valdepeñas,
Ayuntamiento de Villarcayo
Asociación Alcor
Facultad de Bellas Artes de Madrid,
Museo Vellosillo de Ayllón,
Fundación Ecume Marsella,
Ayuntamiento de Sanxenxo,
Fundación Uncastillo,
Fundación Norte
