Fabian Perez - San Telmo

San Telmo is one of the oldest districts in Buenos Aires; it was also the wealthiest until the 1870s when many residents started relocating to more spacious areas. The ancient cobbled streets of San Telmo then began to come into their own; the city's oldest square, the Plaza Dorrego, became home to dancers and musicians, the old colonial buildings transformed into bars and clubs, and as the social climbers moved out, the Tango moved in!

World-renowned South American artist Fabian Perez is in an unique position to convey the atmosphere of this seductive and glamorous world having spent his childhood amongst some of its more striking characters.

Born in 1967, Fabian grew up outside Buenos Aires in a turbulent world of political upheaval during the post-Peron military regime. Such a childhood could not fail to impact on every area of his life including his artistic ethos, especially when taken in conjunction with his unconventional upbringing.

At the age of 9 he became fascinated with the paintbrush, and using watercolors and tempera he painted portraits of his friends and family. His mother, Edua Herreria, a beautiful Brazilian women, met his father, a handsome and charismatic ladies’ man, Antonio Perez, in the late 1950’s, in Campana, a small city outside Buenos Aires.

Edua was the creative force in Fabian’s life and Antonio was the inspiration for his work. Fabian witnessed his father’s unorthodox and often difficult life, portraying him in his paintings as “the cool guy” outside nightclubs and bordellos. Antonio owned a number of brothels and illegal nightclubs in Campana, and was frequently chased and closed down by the police. Nevertheless the young Fabian was constantly exposed to beautiful women who could seduce a man “simply by lighting a cigarette”. Today we see these “ladies of the night” exquisitely portrayed in many of Fabian’s paintings - memories of his youth and the nightlife he observed. At the age of 16 Fabian was faced with the loss of his mother and 3 years later the loss of his father. The sadness and despair he experienced left him confused and searching for answers.

This formidable collection of hand-embellished Canvas Editions represents Fabian's figurative gift at its most impressive; his controlled yet passionate compositional style allows these beautifully described, authentic figures to live and breathe against the distinctive backdrop of a sulty San Telmo night.