The Albatross / El Albatros, 2024

Andru Suarez Rojas  

A surreal interior unfolds with meticulous precision. A bird-headed figure dominates the foreground. The creature wears a dark, Victorian-style dress. It holds a glass jar containing a mysterious red object. The scene blends the domestic with the dreamlike. A male figure appears in the background. His head is replaced by a blue sphere. He stands partially draped in a white cloth. This composition creates a non-place where identity becomes fluid. 
The visual language draws from the legacy of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo. Anthropomorphic forms evoke ancient myths and folklore. Everything is rendered in a delicate watercolor technique. The palette remains warm and muted. Objects clutter the shelving. A ship painting, a Grecian profile, and nautical shells suggest a curated memory. The artwork explores the intersection of history and personal identity. It functions as a staged setting where time feels suspended. This hybridization of styles transforms a simple room into a psychological landscape. The attention to detail is reminiscent of classic British illustration. Each element contributes to a narrative of quiet observation and aesthetic globalization. The gaze of the bird figure remains steady and serene. One final detail rests on the counter. A small starfish anchors the scene in a maritime atmosphere.

Andru Suárez Rojas (b. 1994, Barrancas, Colombia) is a contemporary artist who explores folklore through staged compositions that interrogate identity, transvestism, and time. His work constructs dreamlike, "non-place" environments dedicated to preserving history and memory by synthesizing the Surrealist legacy of Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and Frida Kahlo with the delicate illustrative sensibilities of Beatrix Potter. Rejecting modern pop culture, Suárez Rojas roots his anthropomorphic figures in ancient mythology, literature, and everyday scenes. Within Victorian landscapes that engage in deliberate aesthetic globalization and artistic hybridization, rabbits symbolize transvestism through the narrative of The Ballad of Mulan, while cats channel the Egyptian goddess Bastet as cultural bridges. Amidst these complex thematic dialogues, native South American animals, such as the capybara, embody a serene and quiet observation.

From the More from this artist
Signed lower front by the artist
Unframed