Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández's paintings deftly combine representation and abstraction, linear draughtsmanship and colouration, minimalism and gesturalism.
Installation View, Secundino Hernández: Paso, Victoria Miro, 1 April - 6 May 2017. Photo: Thierry Bal.
Secundino Hernández's diverse and energetic painting practice resists easy characterisation. His work features intricately structured compositions that mix strong linear elements and rich bursts of colour. Some canvases feature abstracted, atomised forms, while others have more densely overlaid imagery in which it is possible to discern figurative elements.
His paintings deftly combine representation and abstraction, linear draughtsmanship and colouration, minimalism and gesturalism. Over the course of his career Hernández has mixed diverse references: a physicality that recalls Action Painting, the shorthand figuration of cartoons, and passages evoking painterly precedents. This stylistic multiplicity grows out of Hernández's detailed and informed knowledge of art history. While his references are broad he has, in recent years, developed a specific engagement with the work of old and modern masters from his native country, Spain, as a way of getting in touch with his personal and artistic roots. For Hernandez, such references are signposts rather than subjects in their own right. Distilled to essences of line, colour and form, his paintings always foreground the particularities of the medium, its defining characteristics.
In keeping with the breadth of his influences, Hernández employs a variety of seemingly contradictory techniques including washing, scraping, and working directly from paint tubes. While some works are the result of conspicuous addition, his ‘wash’ canvases, by contrast, are produced by layering and removing paint with a heavy-duty pressure washer. Almost archaeological in nature, this method involves digging through pigment to expose the canvas beneath, a process that the artist associates with sculptural carving. The resulting paintings have a dramatic, exploratory quality.
His is a meticulous and process-oriented approach, and his paintings openly display the triumphs and struggles of the artist's practice, creating a tension between control and chaos, rehearsal and re-evaluation, making and unmaking, beauty and destruction.
Secundino Hernández was born in 1975 in Madrid, where he currently lives and works.
Solo exhibitions of his work have recently been presented at Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria (2023); Heinrich Ehrhardt, Madrid, Spain (2023); Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Frankfurt, Germany (2023); Victoria Miro, London, UK (2022); Galeria Nuno Centeno, Porto, Portugal (2022); Miettinen Collection, Berlin, Germany (2022); The Insular Museum, Cabildo of La Palma, Spain (2021-2022); Vortic Collect Online (Victoria Miro, 2020); Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, USA (2019); Victoria Miro, Venice, Italy (2019); CAC Málaga, Spain (2018); Taidehalli Helsinki, Finland (2018); Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2015); Maison Louis Carré, Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, France (2014); and Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland (2014).
The artist has also participated in group shows including Entre los ojos el deseo, Olivia Arauna Collection, Alcobendas Art Center, Madrid, Spain (2024); Extraordinary Form, Miettinen Collection, 2000s-Present, Salon Dhalmann, Berlin, Germany (2024); The lens within your heart, Takeuchi Collection, What Museum, Tokyo, Japan (2023); Painters Paint Paintings: La Versión, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2022); Foreign Affairs, Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria (2022); Spanish and International Artists, Galeria Daniel Cardani, Madrid, Spain (2019); Spain Over the Rainbow, Mirat, Madrid, Spain (2019); Lush Strokes - Phantom Forms, Galerie Isa, Mumbai, India (2018); The Art Show, Art of the New Millennium, Taguchi Art Collection, Japan (2017); Summer Exhibition 2017, Royal Academy, London, UK (2017); Abstract Painting Now, Kunsthalle Krems, Krems, Austria (2017); Das Allerletze Prof. Winkler Stipendium at Kunstverein Weiden, Austria (2013); Alone Together at the Rubell Family Collection / Contemporary Arts Foundation, Miami, USA (2013); Dialogos DKV - Patio Herreriano at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Espanol, Valladolid, Spain (2013); Berlin Status 1 at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (2012) and Berlin Klondyke 2011 at Art Center Los Angeles, USA (2011).
His work is in numerous institutional and private collections, including Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada; Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand; Montenmedio Contemporánea Foundation, Cádiz, Spain; Friedrichs Collection, Bonn, Germany; Jorge Pérez Collection, Miami, USA; Masaveu Foundation, Madrid, Spain; Foundation 20/21 Collection, La Palma, Spain; Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, USA; Helga de Alvear Foundation, Cáceres, Spain; Kunstdepot Göschenen, Switzerland; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK; North Carolina Museum, USA; The Rubell Family Collection, Miami, USA; Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China; Zabludowicz Collection, Sarvisalo, Finland.
Survey: Selected Works
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Untitled, 2017
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Rojo, 2016
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2016
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2013
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Deccoys, 2013
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Untitled, 2013
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Melted, 2013
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When are we now? 2013
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Untitled, 2013
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John Cage, 2012
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Still, 2012
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The Drag, 2012
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Wimbledon, 2011
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Untitled, 2010
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Untitled, 2017
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Rojo, 2016
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2016
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2017
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2014
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Untitled, 2013
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Deccoys, 2013
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Untitled, 2013
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Melted, 2013
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When are we now? 2013
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Untitled, 2013
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John Cage, 2012
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Still, 2012
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The Drag, 2012
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Wimbledon, 2011
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Untitled, 2010
In Focus
Secundino Hernández discusses his exhibition, Paso
In conversation with Martin Coomer, the artist discusses the three bodies of work featured in his exhibition, Paso, at Victoria Miro and Victoria Miro Mayfair (1 April - 6 May 2017).
Martin Coomer: Standing in front of your new monochrome ‘washed’ paintings, I’m struck by how they seem to be about erasure as much as addition.
Secundino Hernández: That is the primary idea. Normally, we say that painting is about addition, but with these works I’m going through the painting, and through the prepared ground, to the raw canvas. I’m taking a step back, if you like, moving out of the image.
MC: They have a dramatic, exploratory quality but also a distinct urban feel, like being surrounded by weathered walls.
SH: Yes, I think it’s partly due to the scale of the work. With this size of canvas, you have a sense of architectural scale. Being surrounded by them, it’s almost like you’re in a street.
When the works succeed I don’t see geometric shapes any more. I see a dance between pictorial languages.
Related
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Exhibition Posted February 19 2025
Secundino Hernández at Sala Alcalá 31, Madrid
On view 19 February–20 April 2025, the artist's first institutional exhibition in his hometown draws from his 30-year career. Sala Alcalá 31, Madrid -
Exhibition Posted October 7 2024
Maria Nepomuceno, Christian Holstad, and Secundino Hernández feature in Fabric of Life
On view 10 October–18 November 2024, Fabric of Life, curated by Catherine Loewe, is an exhibition that explores the personal, social, and cultural histories of textiles. Paul Smith Space, London -
Publications May 9 2024
Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
Secundino Hernández: Problematic CornersNot currently available£ 55.000 in cart -
Interview Posted April 11 2024
Secundino Hernández talks to Ocula about his new exhibition, Problematic Corners
‘For me, painting is a tool for understanding the world, explaining my inner life, and forging connections with fellow human beings…’ Phoebe Bradford, Ocula -
Gallery Exhibition 10 April - 18 May 2024
Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
The Spanish artist’s fifth solo exhibition with the gallery features a dynamic series of oval works that expand on his unique painting language. Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Gallery Exhibition 11 October - 12 November 2022
Secundino Hernández: time TIME
New works continue his investigation into the vocabulary of painting and historical classifications of the medium to create images that radiate a sense of urgency. Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Preview Posted October 8 2022
Secundino Hernández features in Wallpaper’s guide to Frieze week
Spanish artist Secundino Hernández’s textured, scratched and blurred canvases explore painting in its rawest form, drawing on both historic and contemporary modes of application. Harriet Lloyd-Smith, Martha Elliott, Wallpaper* -
Exhibition Posted April 29 2022
Secundino Hernández at the Miettinen Collection, Berlin
'It's good to be back' is the title of a new solo exhibition (until 31 July 2022) by Secundino Hernández, presenting more than 60 works from the Miettinen Collection and the artist's own archive. Miettinen Collection, Berlin -
Gallery Exhibition 24 February - 30 April 2021
The Sky was Blue the Sea was Blue and the Boy was Blue
An exhibition of work by 19 artists celebrating the colour blue, available online and on Vortic as part of The London Collective. Victoria Miro on Vortic -
Gallery Exhibition 23 June - 25 July 2020
Secundino Hernández: Dreaming of Wild Honey
An extended reality (XR) exhibition of new paintings by the Spanish artist Secundino Hernández, available exclusively online and via the App Store on Vortic Collect. Victoria Miro on Vortic -
Interview Posted October 1 2019
Secundino Hernández talks to My Art Guides about his exhibition at Victoria Miro Venice
'Gradually I started to look at Venice from a human and emotional perspective rather than from an architectural one.' Mara Sartore, My Art Guides -
Gallery Exhibition 13 September - 19 October 2019
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la piel
Victoria Miro has established a studio space in Venice for invited artists to spend extended time in the historic city and make new bodies of work. This exhibition of small-scale figurative paintings was created in the Venice studio by the acclaimed Spanish artist Secundino Hernández. Victoria Miro Venice -
Publications September 11 2019
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la piel
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la pielNot currently available£ 23.000 in cart -
Exhibition Posted April 14 2018
Secundino Hernández at Taidehalli, Helskini
An exhibition (14 April – 13 May 2018) of new paintings in addition to a selection of works from the past five years. Kunsthalle Helsinki -
Exhibition Posted February 16 2018
Secundino Hernández: Todo es Mucho at CAC Málaga
The exhibition (16 February – 6 May 2018) features some 38 works, several of which have been made especially for the show. CAC Málaga, Spain -
News Posted November 28 2017
Secundino Hernández: an In the Studio interview with Collectors Agenda
'I don’t like answers. And I don’t need answers. Rather, I prefer to question myself, my ideas, and everything around me.' Gabriel Roland, Collectors Agenda -
Exhibition Posted September 19 2017
Secundino Hernández in The Art Show – Art of the New Millennium in the Taguchi Art Collection at The Museum of Modern Art Gunma, Japan
The exhibition (16 September – 12 November 2017) includes important works by 53 artists in the Taguchi Art Collection. Gunma, Japan -
News Posted June 15 2017
Art Basel Unlimited: Secundino Hernández
Victoria Miro is delighted to co-present with Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Frankfurt, and Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Four Seasons, Between Summer and Fall, 2016-2017, a major four-part painting by Secundino Hernández. Basel, Switzerland -
Interview Posted April 26 2017
Secundino Hernández talks to Something Curated about his exhibition Paso at Victoria Miro
In conversation with Keshav Anand, the artist discusses the bodies of work that comprise his exhibitions at Victoria Miro and Victoria Miro Mayfair. Keshav Anand, Something Curated -
Interview Posted April 22 2017
Studio International interviews Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández: ‘As a painter you have to have the courage to not be afraid of change’ Angeria Rigamonti di Cutò, Studio International -
Review Posted April 7 2017
Time Out reviews Secundino Hernández: Paso
★★★★ "There’s something about abstract painting on this scale that makes your mind sprint." Eddy Frankel, Time Out London -
Gallery Exhibition 1 April - 6 May 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Meaning ‘step’, the exhibition title, Paso, refers to a series of movements through abstraction and figuration. At Wharf Road, Hernández is showing abstract paintings that continue his investigation into gesture... Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Gallery Exhibition 1 April - 20 May 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Meaning ‘step’, the exhibition title, Paso, refers to a series of movements through abstraction and figuration. A new series of figurative works is on display at Victoria Miro Mayfair. Victoria Miro Mayfair -
Profile Posted April 1 2017
Secundino Hernández profiled in Elephant Magazine
Charlotte Jansen profiles the artist ahead of his exhibition, Paso, at Victoria Miro and Victoria Miro Mayfair. Charlotte Jansen, Elephant Magazine -
Publications April 1 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Secundino Hernández: PasoNot currently available£ 30.000 in cart -
Exhibition Posted December 1 2016
Secundino Hernández included in High Anxiety: New Acquisitions at the Rubell Family Collection
High Anxiety: New Acquisitions (30 November 2016 - 25 August 2017) presents selections of artworks from 32 artists acquired since 2014, many of whom explore polarizing social and political concerns through a broad spectrum of contemporary artistic practices. Rubell Family Collection, Miami, Florida -
Channel November 4 2016
Secundino Hernández
A sneak peek in the studio with the artist, on the occasion of his being honoured at the 2016 Hirshhorn Gala -
Event Posted November 4 2016
Secundino Hernández honoured at the 2016 Hirshhorn Gala
Hernández was among 40 artist honourees at the New York gala, held on November 3 at One World Trade Center. New York City -
Exhibition Posted September 1 2015
Secundino Hernández at Yuz Museum, Shanghai
Entre Primavera y Verano (until 11 October 2015) at the Yuz Museum, Atrium and Project Room, Shanghai, is the artist's first exhibition in China. Yuz Museum, Shanghai -
Interview Posted July 2 2014
Secundino Hernández Artsy Editorial interview
'When you remove the painting, there are restos — little traces of what was happening before… You go directly to the soul of the painting.' Molly Gottschalk, Artsy -
Gallery Exhibition 11 June - 2 August 2014
Secundino Hernández
Victoria Miro is pleased to announce that the gallery now represents Spanish painter Secundino Hernández, and is delighted to present his first solo exhibition at the gallery. Hernández's diverse and... Victoria Miro Gallery I
-
Exhibition Posted February 19 2025
Secundino Hernández at Sala Alcalá 31, Madrid
On view 19 February–20 April 2025, the artist's first institutional exhibition in his hometown draws from his 30-year career. Sala Alcalá 31, Madrid -
Exhibition Posted October 7 2024
Maria Nepomuceno, Christian Holstad, and Secundino Hernández feature in Fabric of Life
On view 10 October–18 November 2024, Fabric of Life, curated by Catherine Loewe, is an exhibition that explores the personal, social, and cultural histories of textiles. Paul Smith Space, London -
Publications May 9 2024
Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
Secundino Hernández: Problematic CornersNot currently available£ 55.000 in cart -
Interview Posted April 11 2024
Secundino Hernández talks to Ocula about his new exhibition, Problematic Corners
‘For me, painting is a tool for understanding the world, explaining my inner life, and forging connections with fellow human beings…’ Phoebe Bradford, Ocula -
Gallery Exhibition 10 April - 18 May 2024
Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
The Spanish artist’s fifth solo exhibition with the gallery features a dynamic series of oval works that expand on his unique painting language. Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Gallery Exhibition 11 October - 12 November 2022
Secundino Hernández: time TIME
New works continue his investigation into the vocabulary of painting and historical classifications of the medium to create images that radiate a sense of urgency. Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Preview Posted October 8 2022
Secundino Hernández features in Wallpaper’s guide to Frieze week
Spanish artist Secundino Hernández’s textured, scratched and blurred canvases explore painting in its rawest form, drawing on both historic and contemporary modes of application. Harriet Lloyd-Smith, Martha Elliott, Wallpaper* -
Exhibition Posted April 29 2022
Secundino Hernández at the Miettinen Collection, Berlin
'It's good to be back' is the title of a new solo exhibition (until 31 July 2022) by Secundino Hernández, presenting more than 60 works from the Miettinen Collection and the artist's own archive. Miettinen Collection, Berlin -
Gallery Exhibition 24 February - 30 April 2021
The Sky was Blue the Sea was Blue and the Boy was Blue
An exhibition of work by 19 artists celebrating the colour blue, available online and on Vortic as part of The London Collective. Victoria Miro on Vortic -
Gallery Exhibition 23 June - 25 July 2020
Secundino Hernández: Dreaming of Wild Honey
An extended reality (XR) exhibition of new paintings by the Spanish artist Secundino Hernández, available exclusively online and via the App Store on Vortic Collect. Victoria Miro on Vortic -
Interview Posted October 1 2019
Secundino Hernández talks to My Art Guides about his exhibition at Victoria Miro Venice
'Gradually I started to look at Venice from a human and emotional perspective rather than from an architectural one.' Mara Sartore, My Art Guides -
Gallery Exhibition 13 September - 19 October 2019
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la piel
Victoria Miro has established a studio space in Venice for invited artists to spend extended time in the historic city and make new bodies of work. This exhibition of small-scale figurative paintings was created in the Venice studio by the acclaimed Spanish artist Secundino Hernández. Victoria Miro Venice -
Publications September 11 2019
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la piel
Secundino Hernández: Grapado a la pielNot currently available£ 23.000 in cart -
Exhibition Posted April 14 2018
Secundino Hernández at Taidehalli, Helskini
An exhibition (14 April – 13 May 2018) of new paintings in addition to a selection of works from the past five years. Kunsthalle Helsinki -
Exhibition Posted February 16 2018
Secundino Hernández: Todo es Mucho at CAC Málaga
The exhibition (16 February – 6 May 2018) features some 38 works, several of which have been made especially for the show. CAC Málaga, Spain -
News Posted November 28 2017
Secundino Hernández: an In the Studio interview with Collectors Agenda
'I don’t like answers. And I don’t need answers. Rather, I prefer to question myself, my ideas, and everything around me.' Gabriel Roland, Collectors Agenda -
Exhibition Posted September 19 2017
Secundino Hernández in The Art Show – Art of the New Millennium in the Taguchi Art Collection at The Museum of Modern Art Gunma, Japan
The exhibition (16 September – 12 November 2017) includes important works by 53 artists in the Taguchi Art Collection. Gunma, Japan -
News Posted June 15 2017
Art Basel Unlimited: Secundino Hernández
Victoria Miro is delighted to co-present with Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Frankfurt, and Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Four Seasons, Between Summer and Fall, 2016-2017, a major four-part painting by Secundino Hernández. Basel, Switzerland -
Interview Posted April 26 2017
Secundino Hernández talks to Something Curated about his exhibition Paso at Victoria Miro
In conversation with Keshav Anand, the artist discusses the bodies of work that comprise his exhibitions at Victoria Miro and Victoria Miro Mayfair. Keshav Anand, Something Curated -
Interview Posted April 22 2017
Studio International interviews Secundino Hernández
Secundino Hernández: ‘As a painter you have to have the courage to not be afraid of change’ Angeria Rigamonti di Cutò, Studio International -
Review Posted April 7 2017
Time Out reviews Secundino Hernández: Paso
★★★★ "There’s something about abstract painting on this scale that makes your mind sprint." Eddy Frankel, Time Out London -
Gallery Exhibition 1 April - 6 May 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Meaning ‘step’, the exhibition title, Paso, refers to a series of movements through abstraction and figuration. At Wharf Road, Hernández is showing abstract paintings that continue his investigation into gesture... Victoria Miro Gallery I -
Gallery Exhibition 1 April - 20 May 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Meaning ‘step’, the exhibition title, Paso, refers to a series of movements through abstraction and figuration. A new series of figurative works is on display at Victoria Miro Mayfair. Victoria Miro Mayfair -
Profile Posted April 1 2017
Secundino Hernández profiled in Elephant Magazine
Charlotte Jansen profiles the artist ahead of his exhibition, Paso, at Victoria Miro and Victoria Miro Mayfair. Charlotte Jansen, Elephant Magazine -
Publications April 1 2017
Secundino Hernández: Paso
Secundino Hernández: PasoNot currently available£ 30.000 in cart -
Exhibition Posted December 1 2016
Secundino Hernández included in High Anxiety: New Acquisitions at the Rubell Family Collection
High Anxiety: New Acquisitions (30 November 2016 - 25 August 2017) presents selections of artworks from 32 artists acquired since 2014, many of whom explore polarizing social and political concerns through a broad spectrum of contemporary artistic practices. Rubell Family Collection, Miami, Florida -
Channel November 4 2016
Secundino Hernández
A sneak peek in the studio with the artist, on the occasion of his being honoured at the 2016 Hirshhorn Gala -
Event Posted November 4 2016
Secundino Hernández honoured at the 2016 Hirshhorn Gala
Hernández was among 40 artist honourees at the New York gala, held on November 3 at One World Trade Center. New York City -
Exhibition Posted September 1 2015
Secundino Hernández at Yuz Museum, Shanghai
Entre Primavera y Verano (until 11 October 2015) at the Yuz Museum, Atrium and Project Room, Shanghai, is the artist's first exhibition in China. Yuz Museum, Shanghai -
Interview Posted July 2 2014
Secundino Hernández Artsy Editorial interview
'When you remove the painting, there are restos — little traces of what was happening before… You go directly to the soul of the painting.' Molly Gottschalk, Artsy -
Gallery Exhibition 11 June - 2 August 2014
Secundino Hernández
Victoria Miro is pleased to announce that the gallery now represents Spanish painter Secundino Hernández, and is delighted to present his first solo exhibition at the gallery. Hernández's diverse and... Victoria Miro Gallery I
Previous exhibitions at Victoria Miro
Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
The Spanish artist’s fifth solo exhibition with the gallery features a dynamic series of oval works that expand on his unique painting language.Secundino Hernández: Problematic Corners
The Spanish artist’s fifth solo exhibition with the gallery features a dynamic series of oval works that expand on his unique painting language.Secundino Hernández: time TIME
New works continue his investigation into the vocabulary of painting and historical classifications of the medium to create images that radiate a sense of urgency.Secundino Hernández: time TIME
New works continue his investigation into the vocabulary of painting and historical classifications of the medium to create images that radiate a sense of urgency.The Sky was Blue the Sea was Blue and the Boy was Blue
An exhibition of work by 19 artists celebrating the colour blue, available online and on Vortic as part of The London Collective.
The Sky was Blue the Sea was Blue and the Boy was Blue
An exhibition of work by 19 artists celebrating the colour blue, available online and on Vortic as part of The London Collective.
Secundino Hernández: Dreaming of Wild Honey
An extended reality (XR) exhibition of new paintings by the Spanish artist Secundino Hernández, available exclusively online and via the App Store on Vortic Collect.
Secundino Hernández: Dreaming of Wild Honey
An extended reality (XR) exhibition of new paintings by the Spanish artist Secundino Hernández, available exclusively online and via the App Store on Vortic Collect.