PATRICIA CANCELO
Forged iron sculptor, painter and journalist

+34 677 783 800​​​​​​
www.patriciacancelo.com
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-Graduate in Fine Arts. I.D.E.P Image and Design College. Barcelona.
-Graduate in Communication Studies. UOC. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
-Master’s degree in Investigative Journalism. TRACOR. El Mundo TV. Madrid.

I was born an artist. Ever since I was a young girl, any material I could lay my hands on was susceptible to being transformed. I was not a good eater and I played around with the food on my plate as if it were a painter’s palette. A piece of cork or paper, a fork, any odd object would end up becoming a personal piece of art. I was never clear what I wanted to do with my life, but I did know that it would have something to do with art and people. What I never envisioned is that I would be able to make a living out of my creations, or survive rather, as art is like an endless long-distance race. I figured out that I was good at narrating “stories”, especially through the means of artistic expression. I studied Art History, Fine Arts, trained in all sorts of techniques, anything related to the world of art. I also studied Journalism, as I have a passion for humanities. In the end I combined my knowledge from both fields: art and communication; My work on radio stations and television channels provided me with the means to set in motion my work as a sculptor. I tried out all kinds of materials and techniques: ceramics, clay, stone, aluminium, copper, bronze, metal casting, moulds and so forth, until thanks to a scholarship I came in touch with the ductility and malleability of a material which, at first glance, seems quite the opposite: iron, whether forged or unforged. And here I am still, holding on and in love with art in all its manifestations, which perhaps explains why I never fully fall in love with anyone. I live for and by art, my way of life. Without it I would shrivel up.

I do not regard myself as a painter, but my paintings must have something special, as every single one of them finds a buyer straight away. They are abstractions with textures and colour depicting oceans and lands, metaphores of our inner world, of our states of mind in harmony with the changing seasons and weather.

I am one of the few female sculptors who works with iron exclusively and as an artist blacksmith. Concentric geometrical shapes twisting into one another trying to make sense of the world. Square universes representing worlds which do not rotate properly. Open spherical worlds that roll so that everything flows smoothly. Open cubical and spherical worlds that embrace us. The concept of infinity is a guiding theme in my work through these geometrical compositions that seem to intertwine coming from inside one another. How is it possible that there exist infinities within infinities, or that 1000 galaxies form a part of a larger galayxy? Our world is definitely cubical, not spherical, otherwise it would rotate smoothly, and it can’t do so as a cube. Iron sailboats characterised by their simplicity and motion. They rock, they are not static. They depart from the harshness of iron and its stern immobility.

As I mentioned above, I worked as a journalist for 15 years; as an editor, reporter, newsreader, production assistant and presenter for, among other media, Bajo Aragón TV channel, Castilla La Mancha TV, EITB Basque public TV and Onda Rambla Punto Radio (Luis del Olmo’s – a celebrity in Spain- radio channel).

My calling has led me to pursuits such as the coordination of cultural, artistic and commercial activities, and also to being involved in charities such as the “Arrels” Fundation, “Fundación Alex”, etc. I do not understand life without art or solidarity. What are we if we don’t care for our fellow human beings? What would become of us if there was no art, if The Kiss by Egon Schiele, Pachelbel’s Canon or Chillida’s sculptures did not exist? What would become of a world without art? It would sink into darkness.

I have also gathered ample experience, through art therapy, in the promotion of the individual creative development of people with intellectual disabilities with the aim of helping them in their personal growth and to achieve social inclusion. It is amazing what one can do with the right doses of art and love, the best medicines.

My works are exhibited in art galleries both in Spain and internatioally. Selected venues include the Art Kenny’s Gallery in Ireland; the Guerrero Art Gallery in Miami; the Nonell- Alcolea gallery in Madrid and Barcelona; the Real Círculo Artístico of Barcelona; in “Emprentes de Catalunya” the gallery of the Autonomous Goverment of Catalonia, Generalitat de Catalunya; in the Vilassar de D’alt sculpture museum and in the Albi museum in France, among other locations.

I have taken part in some of the major art fairs, such as ARTGenève (Switzerland), ArtEXPO (Barcelona), ArtBolzano (Italy), Maison &Object (Paris), Cannes art3f and in the kunStart modern and contemporary art fair, among others.

My artwork has also been present in the sales outlets of museums such as MACBA, MNAC, Guggenheim, Picasso, CCCB and La Pedrera.

Forced by the current pandemic, I have opened my workshop in Barcelona. Before that, I had been living in Ireland for a while, enjoying a society that values culture highly. I only came back to Catalonia to take part in an exhibition, but finally travel restrictions prevented my return to the Emerald Isle. Hence, I set up my workshop again in Barcelona and, nearly overnight, it ended up becoming a gallery for all those artists who needed venues to exibit their work so, without meaning to, my own space shrunk to accommodate other artists. However, I keep up my struggle to carve up a space for my work in the world of art.

It is precisely in Mallorca where all my large format sculptures were sold, being now displayed in some magnificent estates.

ACCOLADES
2021 Runner-up for the Artist of the Year Award. California. USA.
2021 Runner-up at AGBAR Ciudad Barcelona
2020 Honourable mention at the Cercle Foundation Arts. Lyon France.
2019 Runner-up at the San Diego Sculpture Contest. USA.
2018 Runner-up aat Ciudad AGBAR- Barcelona. Barcelona.
2017 First prize, Sant Jordi. Barcelona.
2017 Honourable mention for sculpture at the “25 Aniv. Port Olímpic de Barcelona".
2017 Runner-up at the sculpture contest. Sitges International Horror Film Contest.
2016 Premio Ciudad Barcelona. Honourable mention by the Reial Cercle Artístic.
2014 First Prize Arte Talento. Madrid.
*2000- 2015 Working as a journalist in combination with my artistic pursuits.
2003 Runner-up at the International Sculpture Contest. Albi. Francia.
2002 Runner-up at the sculpture contest "II Premio Països Catalans". Lleida
2002 Runner-up at the Expohogar Jewellery and Design Contest.
2000 First prize for design, Nis Nissen Publishers .Florida. E.E.U.U
2001 First prize at the XIII Ramón Verdaguer International Literary Contest, Girona.
2000 First prize at the XIV Ramón Verdaguer National Literary Contest, Girona.

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