Alfonso Silván (Madrid, 1994) is a contemporary visual artist specializing in acrylic portraiture. His style combines expressive realism with a vibrant and emotional palette, in a constant quest to capture the truth of the human being through the gaze.
Although he knew from a young age that art would be an essential part of his life, his path as a professional artist was not linear. After an initial period of engineering studies and a turning point in his injury, he left the established traditions behind to pursue his calling and train in Fine Arts. Since then, he has developed a unique style that reflects both his technique and his sensitivity.
Today, Alfonso creates works with a recognizable and powerful identity, where each portrait is not just a face, but a soul revealed.
His style and work have been acclaimed by a multitude of media outlets and personalities who have wished to obtain a portrait of him.
A Silván is a unique, unrepeatable, pure and exceptional work of art.
"My intention is never to portray faces, but souls" – A.Silván
Style and Artistic Process
His work revolves around the portrait as a vehicle for truth. He paints what he feels, what he intuits, what he deeply observes. He is interested in the most honest expression of each person, their story contained in a glance.
Her creative process combines stages of silent contemplation, connecting and journeying inward through color, and finally combining it with the "reality" we all see. She works with visible brushstrokes and stark contrasts, using color as an emotional language.
It's where he finds his starting point to feel artistic freedom and begin to create... It's the color of the blood that runs through our veins—a coincidence, perhaps? It's a very specific red that he creates by mixing multiple colors: Silván Red.
Recognizable yet dreamlike. Instinct and free brushstroke. This is the stage of the wildest painting, where the energy and color in each brushstroke are revealed to the subject at that precise moment. It's like entering a trance where time stops and there is only communication between God, the portrait, and the subject..
This is where his renowned "First Look" emerges.
Every stroke is decisive, sometimes carefully crafted, sometimes loose and free. Countless layers of paint, revealing each other from the very beginning… The painting comes to life and is no longer a painting; it is a reality filled with truth, purity, emotion, and sensitivity.
It's not about decorating with color; it's about seeing beyond, revealing what isn't always shown. For Silván, portraiture is an emotional language, where color transforms the gaze and turns it into a symbol. If you always look the same way, you'll always see the same thing.
Each work seeks to move, to make one feel. It's not just another face, it's a story. His goal isn't to copy an image, but to interpret its essence and project it to the world through visible brushstrokes, stark contrasts, and carefully crafted details. As he often says:
"My intention is never to portray faces, but souls" – A.Silván
Exhibitions, Events and Collaborations
Exhibitions and events:
- Solo exhibition “Universo A.Silván” at the Pilares Art Gallery, Madrid (Spain), 2025
- Solo exhibition “Views of the Maasai Mara” at the Coliseum of Culture – Villaviciosa de Odón Town Hall, Madrid (Spain), 2025
- Solo exhibition “A.Silván” with live painting, Hotel Villa Odón, Madrid (Spain), 2024
- Painting for the official music video “Amor Ciego” by Maka, directed by Mowlihawk, Madrid (Spain), 2024
- Presentation and auction "Liberation", charity event Aaron's House by BNI Toledo, Toledo (Spain), 2023
- Mural “The Face of Boxing”, organized by the Entre Zarzas Festival, Navarra (Spain), 2023
- Group exhibition + live painting for the opening event of Atlántico Estudios, Madrid (Spain), 2023
- Interview for Real Madrid TV, Madrid (Spain), 2022
Works in private collections and collaboration with national and international personalities:
Ilia Topuria, Sergio Ramos, Quevedo, Omar Montes and many more…
