THE NEW RENAISSANCE pop art painting by Isaac Pelayo
Isaac Pelayo is a head-on crash collision between The Renaissance and Street Art.
In a household where constant turmoil and violence were more apparent than most, a young Pelayo met escape and peace within the confines of himself and his creativity. Hispanic born in the heavy beating heart of Los Angeles, CA, on the seventh day of June 1996. Pelayo was caught in the crossfires of everything that surrounded him, but art served as his only guidance. After dropping out of college, Pelayo turned from his hyperrealistic pencil portraits to oil painting, where his passions grew more immensely.
As of today, Pelayo’s work is most influenced and fueled by the crème de la crème of old master painters like Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Velazquez as well as graffiti artists such as RETNA, Shepard Fairey, and EL MAC. In 2017 his work caught the attention and landed in the firm grasp of renowned rapper and collector Alvin “Westside Gunn” Worthy.
He has created several album covers and artworks for the Buffalo rap moguls' music label Griselda Records, including his collection. Pelayo’s paintings are widely recognized and sought out from all over the globe. His collectors include Sean “Diddy” Combs, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Jeff Hamilton, Shepard Fairey, Jaysse Lopez, and Everlast of House of Pain, just to name a few.
Pelayo is often described as the coming of A New Renaissance. The juxtaposition between his meticulously rendered brushwork of classical style imagery and loose expressionistic careless drips with the use of oil paints, spray paint, and oil sticks create a dramatic atmosphere that is nothing less than a sexy intoxicating marriage of two worlds that don’t inherently belong.
The motifs we see in his paintings feature a third eye accompanied by a smiley face which was also adopted by Westside Gunn on several projects during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic which led to Isaac’s recent growing success. After a month-long trip in 2022 throughout Europe's most prominent museums and cathedrals Isaac Pelayo is proud to announce his fourth solo show titled “THE NEW RENAISSANCE”.
Isaac Pelayo is a head-on crash collision between The Renaissance and Street Art.
In a household where constant turmoil and violence were more apparent than most a young Pelayo met escape and peace within the confines of himself and his creativity. Hispanic born in the heavy beating heart of Los Angeles on the seventh day of June 1996. Pelayo was caught in the crossfires of everything that surrounded him but art served as his only guidance. After dropping out of college Pelayo turned from his hyperrealistic pencil portraits to oil painting where his passions grew more immensely.
Pelayo is often described as the coming of A New Renaissance. The juxtaposition between his meticulously rendered brushwork of classical style imagery and loose expressionistic careless drips with the use of oil paints, spray paint, and oil sticks create a dramatic atmosphere that is nothing less than a sexy intoxicating marriage of two worlds that don’t inherently belong. The motifs we see in his paintings feature a third eye accompanied by a smiley face which was also adopted by Westside Gunn on several projects during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic which led to Isaac’s recent growing success.
Street Baroque explores innocence and influence, unveiling the depths of my personality and interests. Growing up I was most inspired by the Renaissance and Baroque Periods, and the Street Art Movement--studying the first and observing the second. I’ve long been drawn to the combination of new and old, the juxtaposition of two things which don’t inherently belong together. I’ve always painted with the intention of learning from the masters before me, and continuing the line of old artists inspiring new ones. With this collaboration between the parts of me that are poetic and joyful and the parts of me that are rebellious, and carefree, I know that I am doing what I’m supposed to do. Maybe someday years after my demise a young striving artist will pick up my brush and continue where I left off. Until then I have a cheap date with insomnia and some paint to push...
~ Isaac Pelayo
View Isaac Pelayo's work on ARTSY
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