Delving into Hugo Alonso’s Mastery of Visual Illusion and Cinematic Artistry
Hugo Alonso, born in Soria, Spain in 1981, is an artist whose work bridges the gap between cinematic fiction and the tangible realities of everyday life.
His creations capture a haunting contrast between familiar elements and an unsettling sense of otherness, often leaving viewers in a state of contemplation long after they’ve encountered his pieces.
Through his paintings, he explores the enigmatic relationship between cinema and painting, translating the language of film into the stillness of the canvas.
Hugo Alonso: official Website
His practice is a complex dance between storytelling and visual representation, immersing the viewer in a world where narrative and image fuse seamlessly.
The Influence of Cinema
Alonso's artistic practice is heavily informed by cinema, not only in its imagery but also in its structural and narrative qualities.
His works possess a certain "cinematic aura," one that beckons the viewer to pause and reflect, much like watching a film scene unfold.
His interest lies in how cinema allows us to engage with the unimaginable—those moments in film that transcend societal norms, where the line between reality and fiction is blurred.
Hugo Alonso: Alzueta Gallery
For Alonso, movies are more than just a source of inspiration; they are a medium through which he explores his own environment and identity.
Each painting is a frame from a larger, unknown cinematic experience. The recurring motifs in his work—figures, landscapes, and domestic settings—echo classic cinematic themes, but with a twist that feels both familiar and foreign.
In one of his paintings, a figure on the phone, with her back turned to the viewer, appears to be caught in a moment of intimacy, yet her anonymity adds an element of mystery, reminiscent of a film noir still.
The scene feels personal yet distant, drawing the viewer in with its tension between revealing and concealing.
An Exploration of Space and Time Alonso's works play with the viewer’s perception of time and space.
In his pieces, landscapes seem to stretch out endlessly, yet their hazy, dreamlike quality renders them almost intangible.
One particularly striking work features a cabin nestled in a mountainous landscape, its reflection shimmering on a calm lake.
The image evokes a serene, almost melancholic feeling, yet the slightly distorted, blurred edges suggest an unsettling tension just beneath the surface.
This duality—the comfort of familiarity versus the discomfort of distortion—is a key theme in Alonso's oeuvre.
His landscapes invite viewers to enter, but upon closer inspection, they realize that these scenes exist on the border of reality and imagination.
Hugo Alonso: “Self vision”, acrylic on canvas, 130 x 97 cm and “Tripel”, acrylic on canvas, 130 x 97 cm | Image Courtesy of of the Artist
His exploration of time also mirrors the way cinema functions.
Just as a movie compresses and stretches time, Alonso’s paintings capture fleeting moments, yet they carry the weight of an entire narrative.
His pieces are both a snapshot and a story—one that the viewer must unravel for themselves.
As he transitions from general landscapes to singular figures, Alonso’s work speaks to the human experience of time: ephemeral, fleeting, and always just beyond our grasp.
Technological and Mythical Beings:
A Glimpse of the Future Alonso’s recent body of work introduces figures that blend human and machine. These beings, draped in futuristic attire, seem to exist in a world not far from our own but imbued with elements of science fiction.
His depiction of astronauts, for instance, feels eerily familiar yet out of reach, as though they are relics from a future we have yet to encounter.
Hugo Alonso: Captions from his residency at Alzueta Gallery | Image Courtesy of the Artist
These figures stand in stark contrast to the more grounded, everyday motifs of his earlier work, signaling a shift in Alonso’s exploration of what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world.
In one of the works from his recent collection, a lone astronaut hovers against a black backdrop.
The figure is isolated, disconnected from any recognizable landscape, floating in a void that could either represent outer space or the inner workings of the human mind.
This ambiguity is what makes Alonso’s work so compelling; he invites viewers to project their own interpretations onto the canvas, to become part of the narrative themselves.
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Sound and Silence
One cannot discuss Alonso’s work without acknowledging the importance of sound—or its absence. While his paintings are visually arresting, they carry with them an auditory quality that is hard to ignore.
Alonso himself has spoken about the influence of music and sound in his work, which often translates into a tension between sound and silence within his pieces.
The figures in his paintings, much like characters in a film, appear to be caught mid-action, mid-thought, as though they exist in a moment just before or after something significant occurs.
This tension between stillness and sound is particularly evident in his works that feature solitary figures.
In one, a woman stands alone, her back turned, clutching a phone. The viewer is left wondering: What is she hearing? What is she saying? The silence of the painting is deafening, yet it feels filled with potential sound—like a scene in a film just before the dialogue begins.
Alonso masterfully manipulates this tension, allowing viewers to fill the gaps with their own imagination.
An Artist of the Present and the Future Hugo Alonso’s work transcends simple categorization.
His ability to blend the cinematic with the painterly, the real with the imagined, positions him as one of the most intriguing contemporary artists working today.
His exploration of the boundaries between human experience and cinematic fiction offers a fresh perspective on how we navigate our world—one that is both rooted in the present and looking toward the future.
His works have garnered attention at international art fairs such as ARCO, ZONA MACO, and ART PARIS, as well as in solo exhibitions like Prelude of a Sci-Fi Film Noir (2022) and Crash (2022).
Hugo Alonso: Impressions from his studio and art practice | Image Courtesy of the Artist
His recognition is further evidenced by multiple acquisition awards, including those from the Masaveu Foundation and Colección SOLO in 2024 .
In a world where the lines between reality and fiction are constantly shifting, Alonso's paintings offer a moment of pause—a chance to reflect on how we understand both ourselves and the world around us.
Hugo Alonso: official website
They are not just windows into other worlds but mirrors that reflect our own. And in this reflection, Alonso invites us to see not just what is, but what could be.
Discover Hugo Alonso’s latest artworks, videos, and exhibitions by following him on Instagram. Stay updated on his upcoming projects and artistic journey!
Alzueta Gallery’s Artist Residency (AGAR) is an immersive program located in the scenic Empordà region near Costa Brava, Catalonia.
Artists, such as Hugo Alonso and Kottie Paloma, are provided with individual studios in a 500m² industrial space, a private apartment in La Bisbal, and opportunities to engage with collectors through studio visits.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Kottie Paloma at Alzueta Gallery
The program fosters international exchange, encouraging collaboration between resident and gallery artists, while aiming to support the production of contemporary art and strengthen the gallery’s role in the global art scene.
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