Fernando Aguado

The fine art of naturalist figure making

• Fernando's figures evoke religious symbolism of the Christian faith
• He works with clay, wood carving and painting
• His approach to polychromy is to achieve a naturalist effect

"A love for the arts has been with me since childhood," explains Fernando Aguado. Wanting to work with his hands is his lifelong passion and grew to become his profession. "Since I was a child, I always had a need to express my ideas. Drawing and sculpting with clay were my favourite games; I was never much into toys or consoles. Nothing surpassed my desire to learn artistic techniques," says Fernando, who, after leaving high school, studied Law. "I was there for three months and left determined to prepare for the entrance exam to Fine Arts. Initially, I chose Law thinking about the difficulty of professional opportunities in Fine Arts, believing that your work has to be liked to make a living from it. Fortunately, I have been in this for 20 years." Fernando's pieces seek to connect with the Catholic culture that characterises Seville and its people.

Interview

©Paco Holgado

©Paco Holgado

How did you start?

I started by painting and doing drawings on commission until I won a painting award in 2000 by The University Pregón Poster of the Brotherhood of the Good Death of Seville. That is where it all began. I started receiving more painting commissions and eventually ventured into small-format wood sculpture.

What was your first sculpture?

The first miniature wood sculpture I made was a replica of the Christ of the Good Death of Seville. The first life-size work, marking my initiation as an specialist, was in 2003: a figure of Jesus of Charity for the Brotherhood of San José Obrero in Seville.

Does being in Seville influence your craft?

They go hand in hand, yes. Seville and Holy Week are like a marriage that has lasted for almost five centuries or more without breaking. It is a way of life that revolves around art and craftsmanship still happening in Andalusia and much of Spain. In addition to my sculptural work in Spain, I have religious pieces in South America, Italy and Germany.

Is your work more naturalistic or realistic?

My imagery is naturalistic; I do not aim for hyperrealism. I like textured work, always favouring the realistic effect I want to achieve, but with a touch of idealisation that distances it from a work created for a wax museum. I want my style to be identifiable, and if you pursue hyperrealism it can harder for viewers to understand.

Fernando Aguado is a master artisan: he began his career in 2000 and he started teaching in 2009

Works

©Fernando Aguado

©Fernando Aguado

©Fernando Aguado

©Fernando Aguado

©Fernando Aguado

Where

Experiences

Visit a religious figure sculptor's studio in Seville

30 Mins

Free