Artist

Naturally gifted with a keen observation of everyday life, Paul Torres' takes aim at the cultural and social flavors underpinning society. Paul's work is wondrous in its treatment of form and flesh, its low brow contemporary rococo style featuring delicious panoramas veering between magic realism and absurdist surrealism. It is an eyes wide open exploration of the universal violent human nature imbued with a good measure of forgiving earnestness. His work employs the broad strokes of an old master with the subtle undertones of modern influences, using oil, mixed media, acrylic, and dry and wet inks on both canvas and panel. Born in Chile and immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Paul was heavily influenced by Hollywood, watching in equal measure any number of American Westerns and horror flicks. He attended Otis Parsons and is an Art Center graduate and currently lives in Alhambra, California with his beloved girlfriend Clara.

Coming to the United States for a one year stay at the age of 9, Paul fell in love with the art culture here. I went to San Ignacio Jesuits School, my parents who I love dearly encouraged me to be an artist, they told all their friends that I am great. My father was an architect, and my mother is a renowed concert pianist. After immigrating to the United States permanently with a Immigrant Visa, at age 18, Paul served in the US Army, became an American citizen at 21, attended Otis Parsons Art Institute for 2 years, and then in 1998 he received his Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration/Fine Art from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has had the privilege to study with very prominent and leading artists such as Daniel Greene, Albert Handell, Norwegian artist Jan Saether at Bruchion School in Los Angeles, and also Joseph Mendez at the Businessman's Art Institute in Los Angeles. He also worked for several years in the animation and movie industry while continuing to paint for gallery shows and private collections, worked for DIC entertainment, and other Movie and Animation Studios, as a Character and Background Designer, helped make The Ghostbusters Show for TV Number 1, also has worked for "Cool World", Ralph Bakshi productions, "Scrooged" and other movies, and exhibiting paintings in galleries and museums at the same time.