Jose Manuel Reyes Biography
Jose Manuel Reyes was born in 1963 in Jerez de la Frontera in the southern Andalusian region of Spain. At an early age he was interested in visual arts and decided to pursue this as a profession. Reyes has dedicated his life and career to painting.
Reyes is greatly influenced by the area in which he grew up. Jerez is an especially noble town in Cádiz. The splendor of aristocratic palaces, historic architecture, horses, traditional flamenco and the well-known wine of sherry come together is this elegant town. All of this has had a great impact on Reyes and comes through in his paintings.
Early in his career he focused on realistic still life paintings with classic backgrounds. He refined his technique to create masterful projections of the classic Andalusian style. Reyes was heavily influenced by the prestigious Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts, traditional fairs and culture of this region. Over time he shifted from the classic subjects such as grapes and vines, to horses and bulls.
Reyes has continued to focus intensely on animals and has expanded his subjects to include a large range of spectacular wildlife. These are depicted with his own dramatic interpretation combined with lively backgrounds and splashes of abstract colors. He leverages scale, technique and style to create dynamic wildlife which leap off the canvas towards the viewer.
He has been in numerous exhibitions and competitions. His pieces are exhibited in public and private galleries in Europe and USA.
