SAN JUAN, PR.- There are artists who document an era, and others who ultimately become part of it. Stillz belongs to the latter. His talent, vision, and ingenuity converge in the multidisciplinary universe he has built over the years, moving seamlessly across mediums—from painting and music videos to film and, of course, Polaroids of iconic figures in contemporary pop culture, including the incomparable Bad Bunny—earning him comparisons to the Warhol of this generation.
With an introduction like that, it seems only fitting that his latest project, “Hace Un Da Precioso, Vers Cmo Viene Alguno Y Lo Jode,” be presented at
Walter Otero Contemporary Art.
“The first time I saw Stillz’s book, I came across a consistency that I had previously seen in an artist I greatly admire, Andy Warhol. I not only liked his work, but he also worked with Polaroids. Then I watched the music videos and his other projects, and I found that same consistency in the style he is creating,” explains Walter Otero.
“Although my current focus is on Puerto Rican artists, I have always worked with international artists, and Stillz fits within my philosophy because I am interested in continuing to surprise and explore, through the language of popular culture, new openings and ways of approaching the art world,” adds the veteran gallerist, who has worked with internationally recognized artists including Gisela Coln, Andrs Serrano, Jun Martnez, and ngel Otero.
In an increasingly saturated industry, a young creative force whose trajectory tells a story deeply rooted in contemporary society stands apart effortlessly, with a body of work that is refreshing, irreverent, discreet, mysterious, and above all, honest—one that both impacts and captivates.
Stillz began photographing friends skateboarding on the streets as a teenager. He later made his way to New York, and one could say that, like other legends before him, the city became the great school where the self-taught artist discovered his own visual language.
The comparison to Andy Warhol is no coincidence. Like Warhol, Stillz understands the power of faces, personalities, and symbols of popular culture, observing and portraying them from a distance that feels both deeply personal and remarkably comfortable.
“Few people know that he also became a self-taught painter under the influence of Julio Larraz, the father of a childhood friend. Although he is constantly on the move, Stillz establishes temporary studios in each city where he works for any significant period of time, allowing him to amass an immense body of photography, silkscreen, and painting that he is gradually revealing. He is a traveler who fears takeoff, yet feels compelled to document the view from the airplane window as if it were part of a calming ritual, capturing the divine and the ominous simultaneously,” explains renowned curator Marina Reyes-Franco in her essay on Stillz’s work.
There is no doubt that this is the ideal moment to discover Stillz from a different perspective.
“I want to continue maintaining the mystery of Stillz. I don’t like fame. I don’t like being in public very much; I hide behind my art and my work. For me, it is important to be able to reveal parts of myself like a puzzle. But I still prefer to remain hidden rather than be recognized,” confesses the reserved 28-year-old artist, who was born in Miami and is of Colombian descent.
That puzzle is precisely what “Hace Un Da Precioso, Vers Cmo Viene Alguno Y Lo Jode” proposes. Opening to the public on August 26, the exhibition promises a feast for art enthusiasts and major collectors alike, as well as for curious visitors willing to be drawn into the enigmatic world of Stillz.
