Luis Xertu

Luis Xertu. Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Uphill, 2024, plants and acrylic on canvas, 175 x 85 cm (68.9 x 33.5 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Uphill (detail), 2024, plants and acrylic on canvas, 175 x 85 cm (68.9 x 33.5 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Two Men on a Branch, 2024, plants and acrylic on canvas, 175 x 85 cm (68.9 x 33.5 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Two Men on a Branch (detail), 2024, plants and acrylic on canvas, 175 x 85 cm (68.9 x 33.5 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Waterfall I, 2024, plants and acrylic on canvas, 175 x 85 cm (68.9 x 33.5 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Installation view of ‘History will say we were best friends’ at PODIUM, Hong Kong, 07 December 2024—01 February 2025. Photo: Lok Hang Wu. Courtesy of PODIUM, Hong Kong.

Luis Xertu, Moonlight (two men), 2022, plants, acrylic on canvas, 140 x 100 cm (55.1 x 39.4 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, For Your Love, 2022, plants, acrylic on canvas, 85 x 150 cm (33.5 x 59.1 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Luis Xertu, Monoculture, 2022, lavender, acrylic on canvas, 115 x 155 cm (45.3 x 61 in). Courtesy of the artist.

Biography
Working in the theatre industry for more than a decade, Luis Xertu (b. 1985, lives and works in Rotterdam) stages picturesque melodramas portraying men, faunas, and scenery through poetic storytelling and camp aesthetics. Incorporating flora and foliage as the medium and motif in his creative process, which will gradually transform from lush green to autumnal hues, his phantasmagorical paintings become decelerated motion pictures that visualise the temporal realm and transient nature of reality. Xertu had solo and duo exhibitions at NL=US Art Gallery Rotterdam (2024); TORCH Gallery, Amsterdam (2020 & 2023); Art Island, Amsterdam (2023); and Gloss Gallery, Tel Aviv (2018). He also participated in group exhibitions at TORCH Gallery, Amsterdam (2024); Fragment Gallery, New York (2022); BRUTUS, Rotterdam (2022); Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong (2022); Museum of Young Art, Oosterhout (2021); Tropicana / Pottage Foundation, Rotterdam (2020), Royal Palace, Amsterdam (2019); WTC Rotterdam Gallery, Rotterdam (2019); among others. Xertu was nominated for the Dutch Royal Award for Modern Painting 2019 and received the Audience Award. His works were collected by Stichting Kunstcollectie KPMG, the Netherlands.

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Works

Luis Xertu
Two Men on a Branch
2024
Plants and acrylic on canvas
175 x 85 cm | 68.9 x 33.5 in

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Luis Xertu
Waterfall I
2024
Plants and acrylic on canvas
175 x 85 cm | 68.9 x 33.5 in

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Luis Xertu
Uphill
2024
Plants and acrylic on canvas
175 x 85 cm | 68.9 x 33.5 in

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Exhibitions

History will say we were best friends
Artists: Srijon Chowdhury, Weera-it Ittiteerarak, Dae Uk Kim, Young-jun Tak, Luis Xertu
07 December 2024—01 February 2025

PODIUM

Unit 9D, E Tat Factory Building,
4 Heung Yip Road,
Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Tuesday – Saturday
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM 
Closed on public holidays