RAUL CANESTRO  was born in Ronda, one of the oldest and most historic Spanish cities, located in Andalusia a land where famous artists, writers and philosophers have found inspiration for their work. For many years he lived in Cantabria, a region in northern Spain whose wild mountains, sea and people influenced his personal quest for excellence and authenticity. During his youth, he made an adventurous trip to India that marked him deeply and fueled the  process of self-reflection.   The early artistic inquisitiveness developed by RAUL CANESTRO  flourished in a family of artists and artisans: painters, book illustrators, wood carvers and leather workers, but his paintings  require more than innate talent: they require hardwork, energy, effort, passion and above all, conviction.    As a child, he enjoyed drawing and soon began to experiment with different textures and techniques such as oil, watercolor, ink, pyrography, colored pencil, as well as with different styles including cubism, realism, abstraction and surrealism. It was an ongoing effort to better himself and find new ways of expression; twisting, destroying and re-building, creating new movements in Art  that he calls « The Power of Form » in a constant search for improvement. Equilibrium, order and harmony are essential components by putting things in their rightful place, regardless of the form or style used. According to him,  “Art brings us closer to magic, and allows us to understand man”.   His paintings can be found in private collections of the following  countries : United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Greece, Switzerland,  China and Japan. [Biography - Raul Cañestro - 3Ko]

RAUL CAÑESTRO was born on August 16th, 1964 in Ronda, one of the oldest and most historic Spanish cities, located in Andalusia a land where famous artists, writers and philosophers have found inspiration for their work, as was the case for Velazquez, Picasso, Rilke, Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway.  For many years he lived in Cantabria, a region in northern Spain whose wild mountains, sea and people influenced his personal quest for excellence and authenticity. During his youth, he made an adventurous trip to India that marked him deeply and fueled the process of self-reflection.  The early artistic inquisitiveness developed by RAUL CAÑESTRO flourished in a family of artists and artisans: painters, book illustrators, wood carvers and leather workers.  As a child, he enjoyed drawing and soon began to experiment with different textures and techniques such as oil, watercolor, ink, pyrography, colored pencil, as well as with different styles including cubism, realism, abstraction and surrealism. It was an ongoing effort to better himself and find new ways of expression; twisting, destroying and re-building forms, and in that way, creating new movements in Art, where the audience enjoys and envisions the different trends and is invited to 'take ownership' of the space of the painting and actively participate in the pictorial fiction. RAUL CAÑESTRO is a self-taught painter, a researcher who is  passionate about life and human consciousness, and a student of the great masters, classical and modern. His defining principle is the constant search for improvement, where Art is a path to knowledge and of which equilibrium, order and harmony are essential components.  Achieving this requires more than innate talent: it requires hardwork, energy, effort, passion and above all, conviction. First comes the creative will, then technique and practice follow, until the hand frees itself and the heart is allowed to fly in the new world of Art.  To RAUL CAÑESTRO, Art involves putting things in their rightful place, regardless of the form or style used. According to him, “Art brings us closer to magic, and allows us to understand man”. In his own words 'I do not intend to gain fame or money but to have the passion to create and delight in the beauty of Art.'  His extensive work can be found in prívate collections in several countries, including: United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Greece, Switzerland, China and Japan. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS AND INVITATIONS  2013 ARTISTES DU MONDE CANNES . Cannes, France  2007 ARTEXPO. New York, N.Y. USA  2006 ART EXHIBITION. Brescia, Montechiari, Italy  2006 GAUDI ART GALLERY. Nimes, France  2005 NICK D. VIADULESCU. Canada  2005 PABLO RUIZ ART GALLERY. Nimes, France  2005 BATIK INTERNATIONAL ART INC. Miami, USA  2005 PABLO RUIZ ART GALLERY. Austria  2005 ARTIS SPECTRUM. New York, N.Y. USA  2004 AGORA GALLERY. New York, N.Y. USA  DOMESTIC EXHIBITIONS AND INVITATIONS  2011 ART HOUSE “LA GUADANA”,Llanos de Penagos,Spain  2010 CULTURAL HORIZON. Segovia, Spain  2010 BANK OF SEGOVIA. Prádena, Spain  2008 BANK OF DUERO. Béjar, Spain  2008 MONASTERY OF SAINT FRANCIS. Béjar, Spain  2007 INDEPENDENT ART FAIR. Madrid, Spain  2007 CRISOLART ART GALLERIES. Barcelona, Spain  2007 1st PAINTING CONTEST .Torre del Mar, Spain  2006 LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION MUSEUM. Cádiz, Spain  2006 1st PRICE MOST ORIGINAL WORK. Sayalonga, Spain  2006 JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY PLAZA. Málaga, Spain  2004 PABLO RUIZ ART GALLERY. Málaga, Spain  2003 GAUDI ART GALLERY. Salamanca, Spain Read Less [Biography - Raul Cañestro - 5Ko]