Biography
B. 1995 | Barcelona, Spain
Currently residing and working in Barcelona, Spain
Jan Vallverdú (b. 1995, Barcelona) began drawing at an early age, eventually moving into muralism and large-scale painting. He was drawn to the physicality and expressive possibilities of painting on a monumental scale, particularly the sense of movement that comes from working with the body and the space around it. These origins continue to inform his studio practice, where spontaneity and physical gesture are combined with a slower, more deliberate approach to painting.
Vallverdú’s work centres on the human figure, using the body as a way of exploring the different forces and states that can coexist within an individual. His figures are rarely presented as fixed or clearly defined characters. Instead, they appear caught in moments of tension, imbalance or transition, occupying a space between recognisable form and abstraction. Through this ambiguity, the paintings explore the conflicting impulses, emotions and identities that can exist within the same person.
His imagery often moves between states of stability and instability, control and loss of control, presence and disappearance. Rather than representing these oppositions literally, Vallverdú uses the figure as a shifting structure through which they can emerge. Light and shadow become part of this tension, not simply as visual elements but as a way of suggesting the different sides of an individual and the internal states that can surface at different moments.
Materiality plays an important role in this process. After initially working with acrylic, Vallverdú moved to oil painting because of its slower drying time and capacity for repeated intervention. He builds and reworks surfaces through layers, scraping and adjustments, allowing previous decisions to remain partially visible. This slow process creates a constant negotiation between what is intentionally constructed and what emerges through accident, alteration and
repetition.
His ideas often begin as drawings made spontaneously, particularly at night or while travelling. These sketches act less as fixed plans than as starting points for paintings that develop through experimentation. The final image can move considerably away from its initial drawing as the artist responds to the material and to the unexpected possibilities that emerge during the process.
Although his practice has its roots in graffiti and muralism, Vallverdú’s current work is primarily developed within the studio. His different bodies of work are connected through an ongoing investigation of the figure, movement and the unstable relationship between internal and external states. Each series develops from the previous one, allowing technical and conceptual concerns to evolve gradually rather than following a predetermined narrative.
Education
2018 Higher Degree in Applied Arts to the Wall, School of Arts and Crafts “La Llotja,” Barcelona, Spain
2018 Study of Anatomical Drawing, Academy of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
2015 Higher Degree in Illustration, School of Arts and Crafts La Llotja, Barcelona, Spain
Solo Exhibitions
2026 “Diagram: Stable drift,” Lundgren Gallery, Palma Mallorca, Spain
2026 “Misstep,” Monti8, Rome, Italy
2025 “Wavering Balance,” The Cabin by Danny First, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2025 “Not Yet,” Beta Contemporary, Barcelona, Spain
2024 “APNEA,” Galería Herrero de Tejada, Madrid, Spain
2023 “A la Sotja,” Studio Herminia, Hospitalet del Llobregat, Spain
2023 “Joc Brut,” Espai Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain (with Galería Marlborough Barcelona)
2023 “Vis a Vis,” LAB Ola Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2022 “Parafernalia,” La Plataforma, Barcelona, Spain
2021 “Jan Vallverdú,” Galería Marlborough, Barcelona, Spain
2019 “Sense Titol 18×19,” Nau Bostik, Barcelona, Spain
2019 “Quel Chose,” Pop-up, 8 Rue Perchepinte, Toulouse, France
Group Exhibitions
2026 “Between Gestures” , Lis10 Gallery, Arezzo, Italy
2025 “Respirar lo Invisible,” Herrero de Tejada Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2025 “Levantamientos,” Ventana Project, Madrid, Spain
2024 “Los Mellizos,” The House by Herrero de Tejada, Madrid, Spain
2024 “Fundación El Núcleo V Aniversario,” Alhóndiga Segovia, Segovia, Spain
2024 “Salón de Verano,” Beta Contemporary, Barcelona, Spain
2024 “Teatro,” Ola Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2024 “Paseo,” Ola Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2023 “Podría Ser Real,” Ola Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2023 “Dragon de Cuatro Cabezas,” Herrero de Tejada Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2023 “Ser,” Ola Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2022 “20×20,” Marlborough Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2021 “Sotapont” (installation), B-Murals Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (with ZTK Collective)
2021 “Beastie Beauty,” Plataforma 2 Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2019 “Cruixent,” Espronceda Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
Art Fairs
2026 ARCO Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (Beta Contemporary)
2025 By Invitation Art Fair, Circulo Ecuestre, Barcelona, Spain (Ola Gallery)
2025 CAN Art Fair, Madrid, Spain (Herrero de Tejada Gallery)
2025 SWAB Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain (Beta Contemporary)
2024 ARCO Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (Beta Contemporary)
2024 CAN Art Fair, Madrid, Spain (Herrero de Tejada Gallery)
2024 By Invitation Art Fair, Circulo Ecuestre, Barcelona, Spain (Ola Gallery)
2023 CAN Art Fair, Madrid, Spain (Plataforma 2 Gallery)
2023 SWAB Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain (Herrero de Tejada Gallery)
Residencies
2025 The Cabin by Danny First Residency, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2023 Fundación SZ, Residencia El Núcleo, Segovia, Spain
2020 B-Murals Gallery Residency (with ZTK Collective), Barcelona, Spain
2018 “Inhibición” Project, Godsbanen, Aarhus, Denmark
Prizes & Awards
2025 Art Nou Prize, Wittmore Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
2025 Finalist, Premi Pintura Torres García, Ciutat de Mataró, Spain