19. Sebastián Espejo

Artist Sebastián Espejo talks about observational shifts between scene and surface, how multiple temporalities accumulate in his paintings, receptiveness versus modulation in his process, and more. Sebastián Espejo (b. 1990) is a Chilean artist based in London whose practice centres on painting as a form of attention. His work explores the language of painting through close observation of the natural world, living organisms, and the perception of light. Espejo has exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He was twice a finalist for Jackson’s Art Prize and was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2025. In 2025, he undertook a residency at Drumlanrig Castle and was subsequently selected for the Fugger Kunsthof residency in Augsburg for 2026. He is currently preparing two solo exhibitions: one at Union Pacific, London, and another at Sun Gallery, Seoul. In January 2026, he received the Brave Project Award and will be featured in Chapter 5, alongside a solo exhibition at Interval Gallery, London, presented in dialogue with works by Pierre Bonnard. Espejo understands painting as a surface of encounter. His works often place direct references to historical artworks alongside everyday objects or observed scenes, creating a dialogue between lived experience and inherited visual languages. These dualities operate both in his approach to observation and in the process of translation onto the painted surface. Alongside his studio practice, Espejo has developed and led workshops focused on painting, attention and embodied ways of seeing, extending his artistic enquiry into shared, pedagogical contexts. Sebastián’s Instagram: @sebaespejov Reference links: Adolfo Couve, Melliza (1964) Adolfo Couve: Una lección de pintura by Claudia Campaña (2015)—see cover for painting referenced Ron Padgett, Pink Dust (2025) Jim Jarmusch, Paterson (2016) Episode cover art: "Dog Star", Oil, wax, marble dust and pencil on birch wood panel, 50x40cm, 2025. Courtesy of the artist, Interval, Jessica Draper and Wildenstein & Co. Photo by Jack Elliot Edwards. Support People Painting