Naturally gifted with a keen observation of life including the cultural, social, political and religious landscape in the world we live, Paul Torres' art embodies a rich imagination and is laced with social commentary with a soulful interpretation of everyday life. Paul was born and raised in Santiago Chile, in las condes, his birth name is Pablo Torres Urmeneta, his interest in art began at age 3 after being introduced to comic books. Early on, Paul also became influenced by Hollywood films, especially horror films and Westerns. Coming to the United States for a one-year stay at the age of 9, Paul fell in love with the art culture in Los Angeles. After immigrating to the United States permanently at age 18, Paul served in the U.S. Army, attended Otis Parsons Art Institute, and then in 1998 he received his Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He had the privilege of studying with several prominent artist and also worked for many years in the animation and movie industry Paul actively shows in Los Angeles, across the US and internationally. He has been a featured solo artist or part of shows at Copro Gallery, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Rico Gallery, The Hive Gallery, Muckenthaler Cultural Center among many more. Paul was also represented at the rental and sales gallery in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He has been written about in Cultcrusher, Legend, Juxtapoze, Reddoor magazine, Browndwarf Compendium Magazine, The Big Book of Contemporary Illustration and many more publications and sites throughout the world. Paul currently resides in Alhambra, California with his beloved wife Clara.
Education • 1998: BFA, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA • 1984: Otis Parsons Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA • Studied with Daniel Greene, Albert Handell, Joseph Mendez and Jan Saether at Bruchion School Selected Solo Exhibitions • Terra Firme, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles CA, November 2016 • Bamboo Lane Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Fly on the Wall 2011 • Grand Central Gallery, Santa Ana, CA, Idiosyncratic Behavior 2009 • The Conference Room Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Norm Maxwell Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, High Low Brow, 2007 • Bamboo Lane Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Terra Incognita 2007 Selected Two Person Exhibitions • Cactus Gallery, Eagle Rock, CA, Wish You Were Here 2008 • The Conference Room Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Meeting 1.4", Beverly Hills, CA 2008 • Koos Art Center, Long Beach, CA 2008 • Harold Golen Gallery, Miami, FL, Living Dead 2007 • Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA 2007 • Ratatouille, Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, CA (coincided with Red Carpet Screening) 2007 • Cannibal Flower, Los Angeles, CA, Featured Artist 2007 • The Hive Gallery and Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Featured Artist 2007 Selected Group Exhibitions •La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Onward 2.0, Los Angeles CA, March 2021 • Garage Gallery, "Nature Themed Art Show", Los Angeles CA, Sept 2019 • Garage Gallery, "4 year anniversary Show", Los Angeles CA, July 2019 • Garage Gallery, "Art Show", Los Angeles, CA, May 18, 2019 • Nude Art LA, Art Share LA, Los Angeles CA, Sept 2018 • 13th Anniversary Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, July 2018 • El Festival de las Flores, Neutra Museum, Glendale, CA, April 2018 • Pop-Surreal Playhouse, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 2017 • Drinkinsmokinwestcoastin at Think tank Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, August 2017 • The Inmigrant Artist Group Show", Neutra Museum, Glendale, CA, March 2017 • We the people, downtown artwalk,artwalk lounge, Los Angeles, CA, January 2017 • New Year, New Art, Neutra Institute Gallery & Museum, Los Angeles, CA, January 2017• Annual December Group Show, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, December 2016 • Small Works Group Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery,Los Angeles, CA, November 2016 • 11th Anniversary Exhibition Open Theme/Dia de los Muertos, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, October 2016 • Taco Truck on every corner, Lobby Gallery, Los Angeles CA, October 2016 • An Homage to Frida Kahlo,Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA September 2016 • A Retrospective of Gender: Female/Male Portraits,Nudes & Pin Ups, Sagrado Corazon/Virgen, Chimmaya Gallery Los Angeles, CA, July 2016 • 3rd Annual Sagrado Corazon / 1st Annual Virgen Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, May 2016 • 11th Year Anniversary, the Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 2016 • October/Fall Exhibition, ChimMaya Gallery,Los Angeles, CA October 2015 • The 3rd Annual Coaster Show, La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Sept 2015 • 10th Year Anniversary, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, May 2015 • 10th Year Anniversary, the Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 2015 • Laluzapalooza, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, March 2015 • Service, Muzeo Museum, Anaheim, CA, November 2014 • Freak Wave, Galerie Grand'rue, Poitiers, France, Oct 2014 • Spectrum-Gestalt, Bleicher Project Space, Santa Monica, CA 2014 • Caja, Gallery 423 West, Los Angeles, CA, July 2013 • Museum of Eroticism, L'Etrange Peuple de Freak Wave, Paris,France 2012-2013 • Latin Fusion, Noho Gallery, North Hollywood, CA, Featured Artist 2011 • WWA Gallery, Culver City, Lilacs Out of the Dead Land, CA 2011 • The Alternative Café, Seaside, CA, Beautiful Dreamers 2010 • 100 Artists see satan, Grand Central Gallery, Santa Ana, CA 2009 • Loft at Liz's Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Lighting in a Bottle Festival, Irvine CA, Live Painter 2009 • Saturnalia”, Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Cave Gallery, Venice Beach, CA 2009 • Everything but the Kitchen Sync”, La Luz de Jesus Gallery 2009 • High Fructose, Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Transformation", Create Fixate, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • United Cat-Safari Sam's, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Project 57, Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA 2008 • Red Balloons, Cactus Gallery, Eagle Rock, CA 2008 • Chupacabras, Solid Gallery One, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Don't go to the Mall, Julie Rico Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Love and Bullets, The Grind, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • The Son of Sin & Mystic Blockhead, Koos Art Center, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Pussy and the Pooch, Beach Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Brushes, Needles & Burnouts, Kustom Kulture Gallery, New York, NY 2008 • Kiss the Canvas, Kustom Kulture, Baldwin, NY 2008 • SurfBEAT, The Light Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA 2008 • Having Fun with Animals, Monkey House, Silver Lake, CA 2008 • Blood Work, The ARTery Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA 2008 Bustin' Out, Rock Rose Gallery, Highland Park, CA 2008
Lightning in a Bottle Festival, The Do Lab, Santa Barbara, CA 2008
Mountain Bar, Los Angeles, CA 2008
Cannibal Flower @ The Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008
Douglas Alvarez & Friends Animal Show, Eagle Rock, CA 2008
“THEY", The Light Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA 2008
“Transformation”Create-Fixate, Los Angeles, CA 2008
Artseen, Smash Box, Culver City, CA 2008
Live 2.0, Norm Maxwell, West Los Angeles, CA 2008
East to West, Artist of Asian & American Descent, Norm Maxwell, Los Angeles, CA 2008
A Little Birdy Told Me, Live Painting", Mountain Bar, Chinatown Los Angeles, CA 2008
JCMAS, The Conference Room Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA 2008
Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008
The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008
SK8 Deck the Halls", Windup Gallery, Mesa, AZ 2007
Halloween Group Show, Windup Gallery, Mesa, AZ 2007
The Bagavagabonds Bohemian Circus", Epoxy box, Venice, CA 2007
Brushes, Needles & Burnouts," Kustom Kulture Gallery, New York, NY 2007
Fresh Paint, Old Master, Hangar 1018, Santa Monica, CA 2007
The Venice Contemporary, Venice, CA 2007
Flags Unflown, Truxtop Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2007
Lighting in a Bottle" Festival, The Do Lab, Santa Barbara, CA 2007
Dreams and Aspirations", Hangar 1018, Santa Monica, CA 2007
Cannibal Flower, Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2007
Cannibal Flower 6th Anniversary", Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2007
LA Ethos", Pharmika, Los Angeles, CA 2006
Film Roman/Level 13", Rico Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1998
Art Center College of Design Student Show, Pasadena, CA 1998
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Rental and Sales Gallery, Represented from 1991 to 1995
Los Alamitos Cultural Center Annual Show, Los Alamitos, CA 1986
Expressions of the Human Figure, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton, CA 1986
Cypress College Student Show, Cypress, CA 1986
Anaheim Art Association Art Shows, Anaheim CA 1985
Scholarships & Award • California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition,for teaching Art to the Youth at CCNP, from assembly member Miguel Santiago, Los Angeles • Film Roman/Level 13/Rico Gallery - Best of Show Fine Arts Competition Exhibition 1999 • • Los Alamitos Cultural Center Annual Show - Best of Show 1987 • Fine Art Scholarship - Art Center School of Design, Pasadena, CA 1987 • Anaheim Art Association Art Shows - First Prize, Best of Show 1984
Television and Movie work • 2011 Paintings (4) were featured on CBS NCIS-LA Television November Show • In between Animator and Character Designer for "Cool World" by Ralph Bakshi Production, Burbank, CA, 1991 • Character and Background Designer for "Slimer and The Real Ghostbusters" for DIC entertainment, Burbank, CA 1986-1989 Features ad Publications
2019 featured on Joaquin magazine, June Issue N 81
2017 interviewed in channel 7 abc eyewitness news, January 12
2012 Freak Wave Magazine N3
2010 Reddoor magazine,
2009 Browndwarf compendium magazines
2009 Cultcrusher Magazine
2008 The Big Book of Contemporary Illustration
2008 The Citizen, September
2008 Legend Magazine, Issue 18
2007 Juxtapoz Tuesday, 16 October 2007
1995 Pilot News San Pedro
1988 Long Beach News, Vol 61 No 18 Partial listing
