Gabriel Santander, The Tree That Blooms Circles, 2026. Mixed media, 150 × 150 cm, Chile.

<The Tree That Blooms Circles> 

Gabriel Santander, 2026. Mixed media, 150 × 150 cm, Chile.

Mixed media on canvas: oil paint (approximately 90%), soft pastels, colored pencils, and spray paint. The yellow ducks were executed with a palette knife in oil to create a distinct, sculptural texture that contrasts with the expressive brushwork of the tree. 

This large-format work (1.5 x 1.5 m) presents a surreal rural landscape anchored by a monumental central tree with expansive, expressive branches. In the foreground, two bright yellow rubber ducks—reminiscent of baby bathtub toys—appear unexpectedly, painted with a thick palette-knife texture that evokes the tactile intimacy of childhood and domestic life. The lower register depicts a dreamlike countryside with cows, while an abandoned house overtaken by vegetation and drifting clouds reinforces a sense of memory and the passage of time. Personal elements—my daughter's toys, fragments of my daily experiences, and the rural landscapes I observe—are woven into the composition, bridging reality and imagination. The tree pulses with rhythmic color, sprouting luminous circles that symbolize the cyclical and emotional energy of family life. Through this piece, I aim to transform the ordinary into a poetic, oniric space where personal memory, domestic intimacy, and universal landscape converge. 

began with intuitive sketches and photographs of my daily surroundings, focusing on family objects (like my daughter's toys) and the rural landscapes that shape my routine. Working on a large 1.5 x 1.5 m canvas, I applied expressive, gestural oil brushstrokes for the tree and the countryside, later incorporating soft pastels and colored pencils to build luminous, atmospheric layers. Spray paint was used for misty effects and to diffuse light across the composition. The yellow ducks were rendered with a palette knife in oil, adding a striking textural contrast that highlights their symbolic role as childhood icons. The circular forms emerging from the tree appeared spontaneously during the process, driven by the rhythm of color and emotion. The entire creation was a dialogue between careful observation of the real world and a free, emotional interpretation of my inner life. 

Gabriel Santander

Gabriel Santander is a Chilean visual artist based in Puerto Montt. He studied Architecture and Design at the University of Buenos Aires and holds a degree in Art from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. His career spans painting, engraving, and muralism, with participations in national and international exhibitions in Chile, Spain, Brazil, and Peru. He has organized urban art festivals and community projects, such as the "Reconectando Bellavista" festival in Valparaíso, aimed at revitalizing public spaces through collective artistic action. 

My work is inspired by the observation of territory and its inhabitants, capturing the essence of everyday moments through portraits, landscapes, and urban scenes. I seek to create a dialogue between the intimate and the collective, where each piece acts as an inner map that connects the human face with its environment. I work mainly with painting, engraving, and mural techniques, often intervening directly in public spaces to foster community engagement and cultural revitalization.

Artist contact

gabriel.santander00@gmail.com 

Email Gabriel Santander