The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2025 - Issue 37

biteartist B efore becoming an artist, Carlos Ar- riaga worked in photography from a young age, creating highly imagina- tive images for top fashion magazines demanding originality and innovation. “Being a photographer in the closing years of the 20th cen- tury was a stimulating experience,” he told Eclectic Gallery, representing his remarkable work fusing photography and painting. “It was a life far from or- dinary, marked by extensive travel and encounters with diverse individuals and fields of work.” The son of renowned Spanish painter Esteban Ar- riaga, Carlos knew he would follow in his father’s footsteps, starting with painting oils in the 1990s. “He taught me invaluable lessons about artistic techniques and the deeper aspects of human behav- iour and creativity. Art is deeply ingrained in me, an unstoppable need to create, a force that shapes everything I do.” His father’s paintings of ships and the sea possibly influenced Carlos’ more detailed depiction of cities and their architecture. The artist earned a master’s degree at the Arts Stu- dents League of New York and trained at the Ac- ademia Fundación Arte Arauco in Madrid. “Addi- tionally, I have taken various courses in drawing, silkscreen printing, engraving, and other artistic disciplines.” Carlos first created art through pho- tography. “My work was studio-based, using pre- viously painted objects in vibrant, intense colours.” He photographed and digitally transformed these carefully arranged scenes to create striking and powerful images. His artistic journey has been continuous explora- tion and growth, demonstrating that an artist’s style is never static but reflects their evolving perspective and experiences. “To be more specific, my artistic work has predominantly centred on exploring the relationship between photography and painting,” he told the gallery. “More recently, my paramount inspiration has been the challenging equilibrium between humanity and the natural world.” Carlos believes art can transform reality and make Artist Profile Carlos Arriaga Where Art Meets Nature Londinium Alla Piero Della Francesca