Jimmy Molina (EN)

Jimmy Molina (EN)

Jimmy Molina

EN  |  ES

Jimmy Molina (Asturias, 1978) is a multidisciplinary artist that lives in Valencia, Spain. Painter, illustrator, graphic designer, tattoo artists and Thai boxing- muay thai instructor, he came in touch with the world of art at a young age, helping his mother, painter Xana Suárez, finish some of the backgrounds and details of her work. He considers this a highly instructive responsibility that he has acknowledged and thanked years later by signing his own work under the pseudonym of Xana78.

Being self-instructed, he soon abandoned the limitations of the academic and commercial painting to elaborate his own discourse as a reflection of his concerns. Topics such as the working class consciousness, the critical analysis of nationalism, the great symbols of contemporary culture and politics, and a reflection of our identity emblems are questioned, agitated through hybrid conceptual mixes, surprising combinations, a lot of irony and a varying amount of anger/provocation.

His artistic production – from paintings to graphic art, including clothing design and ceramic sculpture – has a footwork that moves between classical portraits, Street art, tattoo and kitsch style, using graffiti writing as calligraphy. This combination creates pieces with a great visual strength, of provocative and multiple meanings, not always meant for all ages / not always suitable for all audiences.

Jimmy punches left and right using a combination of well-established references and symbols –religious, economic, ideological and identifying – to purposely strike blows on the viewer´s conscience and critical spirit. A viewer who is not undervalued, and to whom the artist concedes the possibility to add up to 50% of the meaning to the piece by a join elaboration of different connotations and combinations – whether or not these were the ones originally intended by the artist.

After all, the important thing is that: the conversation promoted by a critical viewer and a shared thought, which can deliver a smile or rub salt on an open wound. Give and take. Like in a muay thai fight.

Manuel Garrido Barberá