Key points
Trained in architecture and decorative arts in Paris
International route between Argentina, Spain and France
Work centered on the body, movement and emotion
Expressionist style with intense colors
Multidisciplinary practice: painting, poetry, photography
UNTRAPPED XII (2025), Adalberto Miguez, Oil on linen, 100x80 cm
In the contemporary art landscape, certain figures stand out with a quiet strength, weaving their work with consistency and depth. Adalberto Miguez is one of them. Born in Argentina in 1957 and based in Paris since 1983, this Franco-Argentine artist combines the rigor of academic training with the passion of artistic experimentation. His rich and coherent trajectory is distinguished by a sensitive exploration of the human body, movement, and color, spanning several decades and across various mediums.
An artist at the crossroads of disciplines
An architect by training (Paris-La Villette School of Architecture), a graduate of the Arts Décoratifs in Paris and holder of a DEA in architecture and image, Adalberto Miguez has a structural approach to the image, deeply rooted in space and gesture. His practice, however, is not limited to painting. Engraving, drawing, photography, poetry… each medium becomes a field of exploration for him. This plurality does not dilute his message; on the contrary, it reveals its coherence.
From the very beginning, he has asserted a desire to forge links between disciplines. Like his poem inspired by a painting by Max Ernst or his photographic series Animate a Sculpture , he seeks to create a dialogue between image and thought, form and meaning.
UNTRAPPED XVI (2025), Adalberto Miguez, Oil on linen canvas, 100x80 cm
The vibrant breath of the UNTRAPPED series
More recently, Adalberto Miguez has captured attention with his UNTRAPPED series. These works, dated 2025, stand out for their expressive power. UNTRAPPED XII , XVI , and XXIII depict bodies in tension, elevation, struggle, or interaction. The common thread: an upward movement, an attempt at emancipation, almost a celebration of physical and symbolic resistance.
The bodies, treated with a formal freedom close to expressionism, are both monumental and vulnerable. The faces are schematic, the muscles exaggerated, the poses theatrical. Everything here evokes intensity, the surge of raw life. The choice of colors—bright reds, sunny yellows, acid greens, intense blues—contributes to this dynamic. The background, often composed of abstract and vibrant shapes, echoes the energy of the central figures.
In Miguez's work, we sense a desire to represent the human body as a passageway for forces: social, psychological, and political. These figures, although anchored in their materiality, always seem to be crossing a boundary, escaping a constraint. They are, literally, " untrapped ."
UNTRAPPED XXIII (2025), Adalberto Miguez, Oil on linen, 100x80 cm
Why follow Adalberto Miguez today?
In a world saturated with polished images and immediate discourse, Adalberto Miguez's work offers a different temporality, a different breath. His art is not a passing fad. It is part of a profound dialogue between European pictorial tradition, South American intensity, and contemporary research. Each canvas is the culmination of an intellectual, emotional, and artistic journey.
Choosing to explore Miguez's work means investing in a body of work that is constructed, mature, yet constantly evolving. It means supporting an artist who has forged an uncompromising personal path while remaining open to the evolutions of his time. His transcontinental career, his humanist outlook, and his ability to renew his form without losing his essence make him a powerful and unique figure on the art scene.
His commitment to painting the body and movement, his dialogue with art history and poetry, and his fidelity to a certain idea of creation make him a valuable presence in the current artistic landscape.
FAQ
What is Adalberto Miguez's artistic style?
His style is resolutely expressionist, combining stylized human forms with intense colors and dynamic compositions. His works convey emotion, the power of gesture, and the quest for freedom.
How does his academic background influence his art?
Trained in architecture and visual arts, Miguez integrates the notions of space, structure, and volume into his painting. His compositions are conceived as sensitive constructions where each element plays a formal and symbolic role.
Is the UNTRAPPED series representative of his work?
Yes, this recent series is emblematic of his artistic evolution: it condenses his research on the body, freedom and gesture, while amplifying the emotional intensity of his palette and his compositions.
Why pay attention to his work today?
Because it offers a unique and profound vision of the contemporary world through the prism of the body and emotion. Because it is part of a rigorous and sincere journey. And because it embodies a rare artistic coherence between forms, ideas, and experiences.
Can we follow his work elsewhere than through painting?
Absolutely. Miguez also excelled in poetry, photography, and printmaking. His ability to weave connections between these disciplines gives his work a richness and depth that appeal to both amateurs and discerning collectors.
Nicolas Sarazin
