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Convinced of his magical ability to become a wolf, this young artist from Madrid is fascinated by the Kafkaesque metamorphosis found in the world of comics and mythology. As polymorphic as he is, his work consists of drawings, sculptures and performances, and urges us to accept our own repressed gifts for shape-shifting. Promoted by the gallery since 2016, he had a major show that same year by the Biennale de l’image possible in Liège, Belgium. His work is now part of several major European collections of contemporary art such as those of Antoine de Galbert, or Laurent Dumas.

portrait of josé manuel egea - © christian berst — art brut
Date 1988 —
Country Spain

José Manuel Egea is a great supporter, since the age of 10, of Marvel Comics superheroes, and more particularly of Jack Russel, the werewolf. 

The transformation of the human being into the beast, from human kind to a powerful and terrible creature, fascinates him. It is the heart of all his work produced since 2010 in the center of creation «debajo del sombrero» (under the hat), that receives people with learning disability. 

Most of the time, he composes using characters found in magazines that he transforms in wolf, covering the image with ballpoint pen until they disappear, making way for the monster.

In observing the images closely, we see that the direction and the intensity of the stroke of the pen or marker is fundamental for provoking the emergence of the beast. Egea does not settle for covering the image in black. Rather, it is about invoking the animal that lies within the subject of the portrait and that struggles to get out. The lines are made in the direction that the hair flows from the face. The lines are made with great amounts of force, leaving a trace in the battered paper. Transcending its apparent smoothness, transforming it, as well. 

For Egea, it is not difficult to connect with the wolfness – as he himself calls it – that resides beneath the appearance of people. He knows it well, thanks to his own fits during which his need to howl in order to calm himself down and his passion for tearing up all sorts of things, especially his clothes, manifest themselves.

There is also a series of words or phrases that attract him and that he mysteriously repeats while drawing: androgynous, birth, transformation, machistar (‘to make macho’), attaching wolfness to an adolescent he becomes half man half wolf, remaining black forever, homonids – it seems that homonids scare him very much.
 

Artworks
Please contact us to inquire about the available works.
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2019
9.06 x 11.02 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
11.42 x 11.42 in
untitled, 2017
11.42 x 16.14 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
9.06 x 10.63 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
11.42 x 8.27 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2016
8.66 x 11.02 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
7.87 x 10.24 in
Untitled  (cabeza de hombre lobo) - © christian berst — art brut
Untitled (cabeza de hombre lobo), 2012
8.66 x 7.87 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2017
9.84 x 12.99 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
8.66 x 11.02 in
untitled - © christian berst — art brut
untitled, 2018
8.27 x 9.84 in
untitled, 2018
7.87 x 10.24 in
Catalog
José Manuel Egea lycanthropos
Catalogue published to mark the exhibition *José Manuel Egea : lycanthropos*, christian berst art brut, Paris, 2016. - © christian berst — art brut

Preface : Graciela Garcia & Bruno Dubreuil
Foreword : Christian Berst
Catalog published to mark the exhibition José Manuel Egea : lycanthropos, from September 3rd to October 15th, 2016.

Exhibitions
comme je me voudrais “être”
curator: marc donnadieu, the bridge by christian berst. From February 8 to April 24, 2024.
Portreto de la animo
collection Treger Saint-Silvestre, Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, Porto, Portugal. From July 13 to November 12, 2023.
in abstracto
#3, main gallery. From February 9 to March 19, 2023.
PHOTO | BRUT #2 :
collection Bruno Decharme, Botanique, CENTRALE for contemporary art, Art et marges musée & Tiny Gallery. From November 24, 2022 to March 19, 2023.
BAD+
first edition, Hangar 14, Bordeaux. From July 8 to 10, 2022.
View more
do the write thing :
read between the lines #3, main gallery. From April 2 to May 22, 2022.
Monster
curated by Nancy Huston, the bridge by christian berst. From September 11 to October 10, 2021.
Bodies of Water
the 13th Shanghai Biennale, Power Station of Art, Shanghai . From April 17 to July 25, 2021.
Yes or notes
curated by Charlélie Couture, the bridge by christian berst. From April 9 to June 13, 2021.
Death salon 2
curated by Laurent Quénéhen, the bridge by christian berst. From February 13 to March 19, 2021.
Sereno variavel
curated by Antonia Gaeta, Centro de Arte Oliva, São João da Madeira. From October 31, 2020 to May 2, 2021.
face to face
curated by gaël charbau, the bridge. From October 22, 2020 to January 24, 2021.
Sexual Personae
curated by Alison M. Gingeras, Hôtel Drouot, Paris. From October 21 to 29, 2020.
Fiac
#47, cancelled. From October 21 to 25, 2020.
In the flesh
real bodies, at the gallery. From June 14 to July 11, 2020.
josé manuel egea
lycanthropos #2, at the gallery. From April 25 to June 1, 2019.
Extravaganza
Treger Saint-Silvestre Collection, Centro de Arte Oliva, Portugal. From April 13 to September 15, 2019.
bienvenue art fair
José Manuel Egea, at the Cité Internationale des Arts. From October 16 to 27, 2018.
pareidolie
art fair, in Marseille. From September 1 to 2, 2018.
7th biennale of contemporary art
Fundación Once, Madrid. From June 5 to September 16, 2018.
do the write thing 2
read between the lines, at the gallery. From April 26 to June 2, 2018.
drawing now 2018
Carreau du Temple. From March 22 to 25, 2018.
Drawing Now 2017
Le Carreau du Temple, Paris. From March 23 to 26, 2017.
galeristes
salon des galeries et des collectionneurs engagés , carreau du temple. From December 8 to 11, 2016.
José Manuel Egea
Lycanthropos, at the gallery. From September 3 to October 23, 2016.
Biennale de l’Image Possible
Liège, Belgique. From August 20 to October 16, 2016.
Una expo más
visiones desconocidas a través del arte, CaixaForum, Madrid. From June 20 to October 16, 2016.
Drawing Now 2016
Carreau du temple, Paris. From March 30 to April 3, 2016.
Mundo extreme
La Casa Encendida, Madrid. From November 20, 2013 to January 12, 2014.
exhibition view of *in abstracto #3*, christian berst art brut, Paris, 2023 - © christian berst — art brut
exhibition view of *photo brut #2*, le botanique, brussels, 2022-2023 - © © Luk Vander Plaetse, christian berst — art brut
Exhibition view of *José Manuel Egea : lycanthropos II*, christian berst art brut, Paris, 2019. - © christian berst art brut, christian berst — art brut
exhibition view of *BIP, biennale de l'image possible*, espace B9, liege, belgium, 2016. - © christian berst — art brut
christian berst art brut booth *bienvenue*, cité internationale des arts, paris, 2018 - © © eve campestrini, christian berst — art brut
Exhibition view *"Do the write thing, read between the lines 3"*, christian bersr art brut, 2022 - © christian berst — art brut
Press review
L’Art Brut. De Dubuffet à Bowie. Confidences du galeriste Christian Berst
Joseph Achoury Klejman, Best. June 5, 2022.
Spécial Dessins—Monstres et monstrueux. Portfolio : José Manuel Egea
La Rédaction, Roven N°16, Numéro Monstre . April 20, 2022.
Los héroes de ‘Paracuellos’ viajan a Londres para una exposición sobre 125 años de cómics y orfanatos
Conxa Rodriguez, Publico. April 15, 2022.
En manque d’expos ? Six idées de galeries à visiter
Philippe Dagen, Le Monde. December 17, 2020.
En lieu sûr - The Bridge
Élodie Cabrera, Télérama Sortir. October 28, 2020.
View more
in the flesh : corps véritables - du 14/06 au 12/07 - christian berst art brut, paris
La Rédaction, Point Contemporain. June 1, 2020.
the shows to see during paris gallery weekend
Figgy Guyver, Frieze.com. May 20, 2019.
josé manuel egea: lycanthropos II
Bénédicte Philippe, Télérama Sortir. May 8, 2019.
josé manuel egea : possédé par l’art
Bruno Dubreuil, Viens Voir. May 3, 2019.
josé manuel egea : lycanthropos #2
Corinne Rondeau, France Culture. May 1, 2019.
d’art et d’actu : l’art brut
Daniel Schick, Canal+. December 7, 2018.
trois pépites d’art brut
Armelle Malvoisin, Beaux Arts. September 27, 2018.
bouge la ligne !
Philippe Godin, La Diagonale De L’art. May 9, 2018.
l’envolée de l’art brut
éric Tariant, Le Temps. November 13, 2017.
le combat de christian berst pour l’art brut
Stéphanie Pioda, Gazette De Drouot. October 3, 2017.
Portrait de galeriste: Christian Berst
La Rédaction, Revue Point Contemporain. March 1, 2017.
“galeristes”, a fair with a vision
Gazette De Drouot International. December 13, 2016.
cinq bons points pour galeristes 2016
Guy Boyer, Connaissances Des Arts. December 12, 2016.
Vincent Sator et Christian Berst des galeristes peu sages
Marie-Hélène Fabre, Revuewatt.com. November 26, 2016.
José Manuel Egea, Lycanthropos – Entretien avec Christian Berst
La Rédaction, Point Contemporain. November 2, 2016.
José Manuel Egea et son loup-garou universel à Christian Berst art brut
La Rédaction, Indie Paris. October 13, 2016.
Le lycanthrope de l’art brut
Philippe Godin, La Diagonale De L’art. October 10, 2016.
José Manuel Egea
Aurélie Romanacce, L’Oeil. September 30, 2016.
lycanthropos
La Rédaction, Paris Art. September 30, 2016.
José Manuel Egea : le lycanthrope de l’art contemporain
Stéphanie Pioda, Artistikrezo. September 20, 2016.
Expo Art Brut: José Manuel EGEA “Lycanthropos”
Eric Simon, ACTUART. September 14, 2016.
José Manuel Egea
Philippe Dagen, Le Monde. September 9, 2016.
A l’avant garde José Manuel Egea série Lycanthropos
Dauphine De Cambre, The ARTchemists. September 5, 2016.
Les galeries du Marais font leur rentrée
Clélia Dehon, The Steidz. September 5, 2016.
Arte Bruta, galeria delicada
Ana Paula Cardoso, O Globo. September 2, 2016.
exposition lycanthropos de José Manuel Egea
Alix Joly, Actu Photo. September 1, 2016.
José Manuel Egea : lycanthropos
Bénédicte Philippe, Télérama Sortir. August 24, 2016.
art brut la fête des fous
Isabelle Martin-Anderson, Silver Age. July 1, 2016.
biennale de l’image possible
La Rédaction, Imagine Demain Le Monde. July 1, 2016.
Drawing Now : « La foire est arrivée à maturité »
La Rédaction, AMA. March 30, 2016.
Collections
Carmen and Daniel Klein collection
Switzerland
Antoine Frérot collection
France
abcd / Bruno Decharme collection
France
Treger Saint Silvestre collection
Portugal
Antoine de Galbert collection
France
View more
Piet Meyer collection
Switzerland
Amr Shaker collection
Switzerland
collection Laurent Dumas
France
Emmanuelle and Guy Delcourt collection
France
Hervé Lancelin collection
Luxembourg
Videos
Jose manuel egea lycanthropos
Language French
monstre commissaire nancy huston
José Manuel Egea

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