Costa Gorelov

Costa Gorelov was born in Moscow in 1993 and continues to live and work in Moscow. He studied at the Moscow Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting, graduating in Film Directing (Cinema). In his work Costa explores people’s emotional and psychological states, often depicting them through the interactions of a figure with different spaces, objects and fashion items. Fashion, in particular, is paramount to his self-expression. It is also a symbol linking epochs, times, and traditions.

Gorelov grew up in the tradition of the North German Renaissance. German music, literature, painting, culture, and language have greatly influenced him, and played a key role in the formation of his style. The basic principles he uses when creating his paintings are those of the Baroque, the Renaissance, and interior design. Architecture plays a primary role in his art, in particular its basis upon stone and the golden ratio. Gorelov strives to incorporate elements of Gothic and Baroque architecture into the everyday life of his characters through handbags and accessories that carry the DNA of this architectural heritage. He wants to show that despite changes in trends and different eras, the fundamental things are unshakable and unchanging.

Costa Gorel

Black Friday, 2021

Óleo sobre lienzo (díptico)

240 x 260cm

Interview

What inspires you when creating? I’m always inspired by something new. I can be inspired by something that I might not have been paying attention to yesterday and it's always unpredictable for me. Constant inspiration is always architecture, music, literature, art, humor, interior design, fashion, and of course, my everyday bible is Virginia Wolf.

What are you working on recently? Now I’m working on the project for Dr. Robot Gallery, on a series of big format paintings. One of them is 3 x 4 meters high and is dedicated to Moscow’s subway. I’m going to create here a special tension between characters and space.

Tell us about your creative process. I can plan painting for a long time and I can make a lot of sketches but end up with something completely different on the painting. I always try to create my own, world my own stories using videos or something else, but painting is the only point where I feel I belong and it’s the main foundation of my life. I’m very happy and beyond joy when I’m painting.

Costa Gorel

Danube, 2020

Oleo sobre lienzo (díptico)

100 x 82cm

Are you participating for the first time in the fair? What do you expect from Art Madrid? I expect to enjoy the fair, to get to know new names new works and my work to become more recognizable. And of course, you always expect sunshine and warmth from Madrid.

You grew up surrounded by the tradition of North German renaissance culture. How can we see this influence in your work? This influence can be traced back to the fact that I always use graphics in my paintings and that I have always been inspired by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, Gustav Klimt, and so many others. I always tried to convey an extremely personal sense of understanding of the world with its duality, changeability and complexity. It’s very typical and important to me to connect the fashion and interior items with the characters and compositions. Yes, my characters are romantic

Fashion and nudity are two elements very present in your work, are both the mirror to explore people's feelings and expression in your process? I use nudity as a symbol, as a device to show the vulnerability and certain fabulousness and at the same time the strangeness of characters. Fashion is the constant concrete of history like stone with which modernity is linked to primitive times. My characters are hiding behind fashion and architecture because they want to protect themselves. In this way, I’m trying to express human feelings like insecurity, melancholy, and joy.

Costa Gorel

Personal Icon, 2021

Oil on canvas

40 x 50cm

Costa Gorelov participates in Art Madrid with Dr. Robot Gallery, along together with Katya Sheglova y Vova Perkin.

At the most recent edition of Art Madrid, artist Luis Olaso (Bilbao, 1986), represented by Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), received the Residency Prize of the Art Madrid Patronage Program. This award, the result of a collaboration between Art Madrid, DOM Art Residence, and the Italian association ExtrArtis, enabled him to undertake an artistic residency in Sorrento (Italy) in August 2025.

Through initiatives like this, the fair reaffirms its support for contemporary creation—a commitment aimed at increasing artists’ visibility and strengthening art collecting through concrete actions such as acquisition prizes, recognition of emerging talents, and international residencies.

Artists in Residence. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

The DOM & ExtrArtis 2025 Residency Program took place in Sorrento from August 1 to 31, 2025. The artists lived together at Relais La Rupe, a 16th-century villa surrounded by cliffs and centuries-old gardens, which became an ideal setting for experimentation and exchange.

In this edition, residents worked around the theme “Reimagining Genius Loci”, an invitation to reflect on how the movement of people and traditions transforms the “spirit of place.” During the residency, DOM organized two public group exhibitions: the first to present the artists’ previous work, and the second to showcase the projects developed in Sorrento.

Work by Luis Olaso. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

Luis Olaso’s work moves between expressionist figuration and abstraction, always employing a pictorial language charged with strength and emotion. Initially self-taught, he later graduated in Fine Arts and has developed a solid international career, with exhibitions at venues including JD Malat (London) and Makasiini Contemporary (Turku, Finland), and participation in fairs such as Untitled Miami, Estampa, and Art Madrid itself.

His work is part of prestigious collections, including the Tokyo Contemporary Art Foundation, Fundación SIMCO, and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and has been recognized in competitions such as the Reina Sofía Prize for Painting and Sculpture and the Ibercaja Young Painting Prize.

In Sorrento, Olaso found a unique context to expand his pictorial research, engaging in dialogue with the Mediterranean landscape and the region’s historical heritage. The residency provided him with time, resources, and a framework for exchange with other international artists, fostering the production of new works that were later presented in the group exhibitions organized by DOM.

Luis Olaso working on his project. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of DOM.

Luis Olaso’s experience at DOM Art Residence concluded with a public showcase of the works produced, reinforcing his presence on the international circuit and consolidating his position as one of the most prominent Basque artists on the contemporary scene.

Through initiatives such as this, Art Madrid demonstrates its active role as a platform for direct support of contemporary creation, creating opportunities for research, production, and intercultural dialogue that extend beyond the fair itself and accompany artists in their professional development.