Pablo Esteban Sanchez Rijlaarsdam (AKA REY) was born on December 27th, 1988 in Mexico City. As the son of an Oaxacan painter Pablo had his first experience in art by watching his father paint. However, it was not until 1999, when Pablo discovered his true interest in Art. He and his family moved to the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. There he came into direct contact with the works of the great Dutch Masters suchz as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Mondriaan and Karel Appel. This helped him expand his vision and create his own distinct way of thinking.
What started as a hobby soon became a complete lifestyle. In 2007 Pablo began to study graphic design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. There he was known for his genuine way to work, his designs, full color and expression, already determined by a signature. He graduated in 2010 with a solid goal: To live from his art and become a recognized artist.
He began showing work in Holland in places like the KABK Hall (The Hague), Jakub’s Hangout (Leiden) and ACCENT (Rotterdam). His work was defined by its expressive and auto didactic language. It was not until 2011 however, that Pablo’s work took on new dimensions when he moved to the hometown of his father, Oaxaca. There the young artist came in contact with his other half, completing the circle of a well-defined, expressive and distinctive style in which the art is not only produced, but also lived. A concept established as ‘the language of the soul’.
‘‘Art out of necessity.’’
In his stay in Oaxaca the young artist has painted over 270 canvasses and 800 works on paper. Making him one of, if not, the most prolific artist in Oaxaca. He is part of the Oaxacan group ‘Movimiento Los Monstruos’. Pablo´s work has visited several countries, including China, Russia, Holland, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States. He‘s participated in international fairs such as the Miami River Art fair, the Artemergente Biennale in Monterrey and the Mexican BADA Art Fair 2020 and Affordable Art fair 2014.
Pablo’s aim is still the same, the appetite is still growing.
