JACOB VILATO
HOMME ASSIS VIII, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 24 X 32 inches
HOMME ASSIS XVII, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 36 x 47 inches
HOMME ASSIS XVIII, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 40 X 48 inches
HOMME ASSIS XXI, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 32 X 40 inches
HOMME ASSIS XXII, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 24 X 32 inches
HOMME ASSIS XXIII, 2021 - Acrylic on Canvas - 28 X 32 inches
BIOGRAPHY
Artistry runs through Jacob Vilató’s veins. Growing up in a family of doctors and world-famous painters, his childhood home was filled with paintings and drawings – providing a creative, culture-rich environment where he could appreciate beauty, free from the confines of intellectual snobbery. Despite demonstrating artistic talent, he chose to forge his own path as an architect, running a successful business with offices across the globe for over 15 years, before venturing into furniture design.
Realizing his true passion lay in art and design, in 2018 he jumped into the abyss of his fears and left the world of architecture, launching Vilató i Vilató with business partner Itzel Culebro so he could devote himself fully to painting, sculpture and object design. In 2019, he revealed his art to the world when he was invited to participate in a charity auction for the pope’s personal foundation – which promotes the importance of art in education – receiving critical acclaim and international commissions.
Vilató’s imagination has no limits… and nor does his work. His appreciation of multiple design disciplines, born out of his upbringing and varied career, enables him to paint and design without any self-imposed barriers, creating unique pieces that tell their own story rather than reflecting a signature style.
Vilató’s self-described ‘obsessions’ are his most powerful source of inspiration, encompassing subjects as diverse as death, African art, jazz music, 60s cars, Avant-Garde paintings and sculpture – many of which he was exposed to through his upbringing. For each work, he partakes in a highly self-destructive creative process, spending hours, days or even months exploring, revisiting and taking apart each obsession until he fully captures its essence. Paintings are vandalised. Old family photographs are defaced. His work is bold and intense, taking you straight to the heart of the subject, yet at the same time imbued with a lighthearted humorous, child-like quality – reflecting his belief that art should be free from snobbery.
Vilató´s private collections can be found throughout Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the United States. Major exhibitions in Mexico, a new glass collection, magazine collaborations and partnerships with luxury brands are just a few of the projects in the pipeline for 2021.