Paco Leon, Artista Visual
BIO
Francisco (Paco) León was born in Santiago de Chile in 1972, a year later he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, with his family. After five years he returned
to his native country, but he maintained constant visits to the European country until 2005,
when his father returns to Chile.
At the age of eighteen, Paco traveled to the United States and performed a program in
Science of Creative Intelligence (CIC) at Maharishi University, where he begins to
painting, between his studies and work.
Upon his return he decided to dedicate himself to painting, he studied for a year at the University
Arcis and then began his self-taught stage in which he was nourished by the experience
and interest in learning by visiting workshops such as La Brocha, a place of
meeting and creation of the 80s and 90s.
As godson of the artist Hugo Marín he received transcendental meditation,
fundamental tool in its development. He actively participates in his workshop
where he learns and also applies his knowledge.
He lived in Valparaíso where he dedicated himself to painting, later returning to
Santiago to hold his first exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art
(MAC) in 1996, a milestone that began his professional career as an artist.
Within his training, Paco has participated in various collective workshops such as
Taller La Brocha, el Generador, Taller Tuna and Taller Italia, in which he has
shared with prominent national artists and has generated various activities
linked to national art as a painter against the current, according to
self-defines
Paco finds his pictorial language between landscape and abstraction, which
futuristic and tribal, as they once defined it in an interview with El
Mercurio, “A painter, ethnic futurist.”
Painting is his favorite technique, the technique with which he works, because it is also
He has ventured into engraving, photography, collage, sculpture, drawing and
editorial through his poetry and collage project “Polo sur-do”.
He has exhibited in various exhibitions in Chile and also abroad, in countries
such as China, Korea, the United States, Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay, Germany and Peru.
In addition, his work is part of important private, corporate and
public, highlights the Museum of Modern Art of Chiloé (MAM), University of
Talca (UTAL), Compañía Cervecerías Unidas (CCU), Swiss Banking (UBS AG),
Almagro Constructora, Polincay, South Cone Investment Advisor (CDC IXIS), Bank
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
1996- “La otra mirada” exhibition at Marco Bonta Hall, MAC. Chile
– “Master and Disciple” | Paco León and Hugo Marín The Ancestral Root in the work of two generations,
La Galeria, HYATT Hotel, Santiago Chile.
1997- “Persistence of the Landscape in Chilean Painting”
exhibition at the M.A.C. Chili.
–“Art of Today” | Exhibition in Arauco Park
(Selection from the Friends of Art Scholarship Contest).
1998- “La poetica de ver”, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Generator Cultural Center.
Launch and exhibition of the monograph.
1999- “0000” | Collective Project, Ante Sala Gallery
(Cecilia Palma). (Generator Project).
– “G-spot” | El Generator Cultural Center.
2000- “8 critics 8 artists” Praxis Gallery.
– “Crossed Words” Quasar Offices.
2001- “Cosmos-Politas” | INDIVIDUAL exhibition at G.M ARTE Gallery Business City, Chile.
– “First National Collage Exhibition” | M.A.M Chiloé Chile.
2002- “F E” Group exhibition, Sala el Farol Valparaíso Chile.
2003- “I-conosur”, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Praxis Gallery Santiago Chile.
–“Four Chilean painters” | PRAXIS Gallery Lima Peru.
2004- “Dulces chilenos la media docena”
VALA Latin American Vanguards Gallery.
– ”13 Painted Doors” | Gallery Trece.
–”Paint your Sky” | UBS AG Swiss Banking, La Parva Santiago Exhibition and auction.
2005- “El otro paisaje”, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Stuart Gallery.
– “Dulces Chilenos enCaldera”, Caldera III region Chile.
2006 – “Moorish Art Gallery of Maracaibo”
exhibition, Caracas Venezuela.
– “Shanghai art”
art fair, Shanghai China.
– “KIAF”
International art Fair Korea.
- "The dozen"
Art collective, Chilean Sweets JOFRE Cultural Center.
2007- “East and West, Painting and Sculpture”
1001 Art Gallery Shanghai China.
– “Art Miami”
Art Fair, Miami beach convention center, USA.
2008- “Memoria fragmentada”, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in
Gallery Trece.
–“Sur-Mercart”
exhibition of small formats in Galería Trece.
– “Wanted poster”
Exhibition of posters in the Santa Isabel neighborhood.
–“Latitude 23”, Tropic of Capricorn” INDIVIDUAL exhibition. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
2009- “rojas, azules y blancas”, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Agustín Ross Cultural Center Pichilemu Chile.
2010- “Painter's Head” | INDIVIDUAL exhibition in QUQU Art Gallery, November.
“Collective Expo” | Blue circle gallery Coayacan D.F Mexico.
– “Collective Expo” | Misrachi Gallery, Polanco, D.F, Mexico.
– “Collective Expo” | Vértice Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico.
– “Gol e Arte” | exhibition around the soccer World Cup,
gallery La Sala.
– “Rutas” with the visual artists collective Km-0 | Las Condes Civic Center.
2011- “PAU” | itinerant project, (DIRAC) Paraguay, Argentina
and Uruguay. Painting, installation and cooking. (As guest artist).
– “Shared Workshop” | November, painting and paper exhibition with Florencia Onetto, in
CIAN space.
– “South Pole Advances” | exhibition of collages and sculptures with the prominent Artist Hugo
Marín in CDA room. (underground of the Café de las Artes).
2012- “Que las pinturas bailen como quieran”
Individual Exhibition in Isabel Aninat Art Gallery.
“Pinted benches” | public exhibition and intervention. (Organized by Galería La Sala and the
Municipality of Vitacura). JOFRE Cultural Center.
2013- “Preludio improvisatorio” | paintings and collages, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in museum cafe. Plaza mulato gil de
Castro Santiago Chie.
– “Menu del día” | Dulces Chilenos collective, Municipal Cultural Center of Ovalle and Museum of
Limarí. (Project carried out through open window).
– “The media player” | Multi-format arts collective, Gallery 13. (Curator, producer and exhibitor).
2014- “Menu del día” | large format, Abate Molina room, University Extension Center
from Talca, UTAL. (Producer, exhibitor and assembly design).
– “Bazart-Uc” | Catholic University of Chile Extension Center
2015- “Generation of '90” | UVM Cultural Extension.
2016- “Art-Santigo” | art fair at G.A.M, Santiago Chile.
– Puerto Varas Art Fair Kunstgarden Park Puerto Varas Chile.
2017- “Carton futurama”, recycling exercises” |, INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Galería Infrarrojo. Santiago, Chile.
“Art-Santigo” | art fair at G.A.M, Santiago Chile.
2018- “Artistas del Valle” | Lolol Cultural Center.
2020- Art-stgo. Art fair digital version.
2021- Art-Stgo. Art fair digital version.
2022- Art-stgo. Art fair in-person version at G.A.M, Santiago Chile.
Collective exhibition together with the “Dulces y Chilenos” collective, at the Agustín Ross cultural center,
Pichilemu Chile.
2023- “Universo León” INDIVIDUAL exhibition in La Barcaza creative space, Cahuil Pichilemu.
“Reflections of a small forest” INDIVIDUAL exhibition in Native Forest gallery Puerto Varas, Chile.
- “Crossed Lines” group exhibition, Berlin Germany.