Artist Profile: Alberto Murillo

Watch out for Tampa artist Alberto Murillo. His canvases are full of vivid color and vital energy, and so is his career. Five years since moving to the U.S. from Spain, Murillo has attracted attention from galleries in Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Seattle and L.A. Now Baisden Gallery in downtown Tampa showcases his acrylic and resin paintings.

Murillo, who worked as an interior designer before turning his painting hobby into a full-time career, draws his inspiration from color. Artists like Andy Warhol and Edward Hopper — two brilliant colorists with very different approaches to art — serve as role models. However, Murillo’s technique sets him apart, combining stripes and grids of color (reds, blues, greens and many other hues) with a resin coating that makes his pieces look more like fused glass than traditional painting.

“It’s almost as if the paintings have a gloss on them,” says gallery owner Susan Baisden. “The finish is really something different that people haven’t seen before, and they are fascinated by the appearance of it.”

Murillo relocated to the Bay area in 2010 after discovering an enthusiastic local audience. His paintings can already be seen at the Element condominium in downtown Tampa and in corporate collections including Universal Health Care in St. Petersburg. While Murillo, a resident of South Tampa, has no plans to relocate again soon, his ambition — and his growing success—could take him anywhere next.

“I want to go as far as I can,” Murillo says.

For more information about Alberto Murillo, go to www.albertomurilloart.com. Baisden Gallery is located at 442 W. Grand Central Ave., Tampa. For more information about the gallery, call 813-250-1511 or visit www.baisdengallery.com.

—Megan Voeller


(back to top)