Leo Macias is a Colombian-Brazilian artist who spent several years in New York and is currently based in Los Angeles, California.
His artistic inspirations stem from his childhood in Colombia, a colorful and magical country, where he was raised in a family of self-taught artists with Latin and Spanish roots. The limited economic resources of his upbringing helped shape his artistic point of view and encouraged him to explore playful and unconventional forms of expression.
Leo's grandfather used to create human sculptures using clay and wood, emphasizing the importance of "imperfection" as a defining characteristic of his style, driven by his lack of formal technique. Meanwhile, his grandmother dedicated herself to painting on non-conventional surfaces, crafting collages with fabric and "appropriating" fragments from books and magazines to compose her ideas.
When examining Leo Macias' works, it becomes evident that these concepts of "appropriations and imperfections" are integral parts of his work, presented in a contemporary manner. The fluid merging of hands, arms, legs, fingers, and feet with plants, leaves, and roses constitutes the beauty of his creations, achieving a perfect balance of these elements in nonsensical compositions that create a poetic garden.
Leo himself describes his work with the phrase, "Behold the roses, be kind with the thorns," conveying the exploration of a strong message about the roots of our beautifully imperfect lives. The symbolism of feet and hands adorned with thorns in his pieces reflects his belief that every step taken by our feet and every transformation carried out by our hands and fingers are essential to the essence of our personal journey.