Manolo Mesa, born in 1989 in Spain, began painting graffiti with his older brother Francisco Mesa in 2002. Since then, his activity and evolution in urban art has developed in his hometown of El Puerto de Santa María until he entered the University of Fine Arts in Seville in 2008. At this point, he decided to put aside the more traditional world of graffiti to start his pictorial work on walls and canvasses. Since then, he has lived in different cities such as Perugia (Italy), Bilbao, and Paris.
Within the last few years Manolo Mesa has been moving fast forward bringing still life into urban contemporary adding this old expression to the canvas and into the streets.
About his work Mesa tells the following:
“In the material there is an intrinsic meaning in itself, like the meanings that we already assign to it. We find in it a connection with space and everyday objects, sometimes found, inherited, anonymous and full of words that evoke a recognizable and close place.
When we talk about a ceramic jug, we are not just talking about how to keep the temperature of the liquid or the motives on the jug. These are just the functions of it. The jug also presents a story connected to the past.
To place an everyday tool like this in the middle of a canvas or a mural is a way of recognizing the past and our grandparents and the meaning the jug has had to these people. It's about the artistic practice serving to identify the value of the many layers and personal values a jug like has meant to people."
EDUCATION
2014-2015 - Master in ceramic art and function. University de bellas artes de Leioa. Bizkaia.
2013 - Educated from Royal Academy of Fine Arts Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (Pintura).
2012 - Erasmus-scholarship, Accademia delle Belle arti "Pietro Vannuci" Perugia, Italien.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
“Un trozo de barro para un jardín infinito” Museo Pedro de Mercedes, Cuenca
2022
“Protección, resistencia y huida” Institute Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux
2021
“Sobre la reistencia” PDP Gallery, Paris, France
“Sobre la resistencia” PDP Gallery, Abbaye de Valmagne, France
2019
“About the resistance” PDP Gallery, Los Angeles
2017
“Yo vengo de todas las cosas” PDP Gallery, Paris
2014
“Desierto de ver” Galería Milagros Delicado, El Puerto de Santa María, España
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Up the Street, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
Art Herning, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
2024
Urban Fractions, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
Art Herning, KIRK Gallery, Herning, Denmark
2023
“Christmas Show” KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
“Urban Fragments” Kirk Gallery. Aalborg, Denmark
“À l`air libre” PDP gallery. Pézenas, Francia
“Nouvelle Scène Impressionniste Espagnole” Spacejunk Bayonne, Francia
“Nouvelle Scène Impressionniste Espagnole” Spacejunk Lyon, Francia
“Nouvelle Scène Impressionniste Espagnole” Spacejunk Grenobles, Francia
2021
“Hors-champ” PDP Gallery Paris
2019
“Where art you” PDP Gallery, Los Angeles. EEUU
2016
“Interseccion” PDP Gallery. Roujan, France.
“Insouciance” PDP Gallery. Paris.
“Polification” Plastic Murs, Valencia
2015
“art-libertè” du mur de Berlin au street art, Paris
“where art ypu” PDP Gallery. Londres
2014
“Where art you“ PDP Gallery. Paris
2013
“Quand la ville dort”. À la Mairie du 8ème arrodissement, PDP gallery. Paris
2012
“Eco+graphy” Ulsan International Photo Festival. Corea del sur
2009
“Exposición Clone Graphix”. Montana shop & gallery. Sevilla
MURALS
2023
Proyecto “Out in the open” Aalborg, Denmark
“Vision Art” Festival. Crans-Montana, Suiza
Proyecto “Colors Urban Art” Strasbourg, Francia
Festival “MIAU” Fanzara, Castellón
“Grenoble Street Art Fest” Grenoble, Francia
Festival “Nuart Aberdeen” Aberdeen, UK
“Most Festival” Puente La Reina, Navarra
“Les murs de la BIAM, Can ́Art” 2023 Lille, Francia
“In the hood Djbaljloud” Project. Tunis, Tunisia
Residencia “Art Baniana” Baena, Córdoba
2o Mural para el encuentro de cultura contemporánea “Áptitudes” La Rambla, cordoba
Proyecto “Sacabarros” Medina de las Torres, Badajoz
2022
Mural para el encuentro de cultura contemporánea “Áptitudes” La Rambla, cordoba
Mural para el proyecto de “Inciativa Cultura” Barbate, Cádiz
“Jidar Street Art” Rabat, Marruecos
Mural para “Viavai project” en Nardó, Italia
“Vigo cidad decor” vigo, Galicia
“Saladina Fest” Mayorca
Mural en el Instituto Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux. Francia
“Mirart” La teste de Buch, Fracia
“SeisdeDoce” Los Realejos, Tenerife
“IPAH FESTIVAL” cape Town, south Africa
“Le MUR” Biarritz, Francia
2021
“Djerbahood” Dejerba, Tunez
Festival “Muro Critico” Torrejoncillo, Cáceres
“La cerámica de muel” Muel, Zaragoza
“BetArt” Mayorca
Mural Para ayuntamiento de Muel, Zaragoza
“Flua Festival” Alcobanca, Portugal
“31330 art Festival” Villafranca, Navarra
“Klive Festival” Sete, Francia
“Sopro Festival” Marinha Grande, Portugal
2020
Festival “Pareefest” Oviedo
“Rouen Impressione” Rouen, Francia
Festival “Edusiart mural” Alicante
Festival “Desordes” A Coruña
2019
“Murales conciencia” Bailen, Jaen.
Intervención mural en Erie, PA. EEUU
Festival “Dos Espantalhos” Portugal
“Lodhi Art Festival” Nueva Delhi, India
“Maqta Art Festival” Hyderabad, India
“Muros Tabacalera” para Madrid Street Art Project. Madrid
“Guau Fest” Torrellas. Zaragoza
“Memorie Urbane” Gaeta. Italia
2018
Festival “Dos Espantalhos” Oliveira de Azeméis. Portugal
“La tapia Fest” Sant Joan de Alicant, Alicante
“Asalto Zaragoza”
“Cromatico mural fest” Cambre, A Coruña
“Scarpia” El Carpio, Córdoba
2017
Intervención mural en el barrio de Errekaleor. Vitoria, Euskadi
“Estau Festival” Estarreja, Portugal
“Polinizados” Valencia
“UrbanVision” Aquapendente, Italia
Festival “Mesquemurs” Valencia
Festival “We all write” Ahtopol, Bulgaria
“Urbanity Art Fair” Madrid
2016
“Bag Out Biennale A.Garofalo” (AV) Italia
2013
“Málaga Bulevart”. Málaga.
“architettura e natura”. Comune di San Venanzo (Italia)
2012
Festival “Meeting of styles”. Atenas
Festival “Poliniza”. Valencia
2011
“Desencaja” Graffiti. Linares (Jaén)
FAIRS
“Basel” Suiza, 2022
“Scopeartshow” Miami, 2019
“Urban are fair” Paris, 2019
“Scopeartshow” Miami, 2018
"Moniker art fair" New york, 2018
"Street art fair" New York, 2017
“Paris Urban Art Fair” PDP Gallery. Paris, 2017
“Urvanity Art Fair” con “PDP Gallery” Madrid, 2017
“Paris Urban Art Fair” PDP Gallery. Paris, 2016
“Stroke urban art fair”. Berlin, 2012
COLAB EXHIBITIONS
Corto_circuits” Fondationdesperados, Bordeaux 2019
Cortometraje “Pasage” Paris 2017
“Heart of the multitude”. Fundación Prada, Milan 2013
Exponente en el “I congreso de intervenciones artísticas en el patrimonio urbano”. Sevilla 2012
“Artifariti” encuentro de estudiantes. Campamento de refugiados Saharauis de Tinduf 2011
PRINTINGS AND PUBLICATIONS
Tapas Magazine, Noviembre 2023
Graffiti art Magazine, no 68 2023
Graffiti art Magazine, no67 2023
“Street art contexts” por Olivier Landes. 2022
“Djerbahood 2” Albin Michel, Galerie itinerance 2022
“Le guide de l' art contemporain urbain” Graffiti art magazine 2022
“Madrid Street art” 2020
“Le guide de l' art contemporain urbain” Graffiti art magazine, 2019
Graffiti Art magazine no 37 2018
“Le guide de l' art contemporain urbain 2016" Graffiti art magazine, 2016
Street Art Magazine no 2 2016
“Paris Street Art” Claude Degoutte, 2016
“Corriere Internacional” 25 ans après la chute du Maur de Berlin, Cinquante murs à abattre. 2014
Paint & Spray Magazine no 2 2012
“Hombres árboles, Ideario de una creación”. Teodosio 5. 2011
“El discreto encanto de los muros”. Revista MU. 2010