Regina Roberts
ART lovers on the Costa del Sol now have the chance to view works by modern greats including mystery artist Banksy.
Twisted Art Gallery located in Antonio Banderas Plaza in Puerto Banus has opened to the public, featuring contemporary art from artists such as Bansky, The Connor Brothers, and Alec Monopoly.
And it Includes original pieces by Sara Pope and Pure Evil created specifically for the gallery.
The gallery’s two levels display about 50 art pieces and the owners have collected 400 works, which they will be rotating in and out as pieces are sold.
The gallery is run by curators Dylan King and Kevin Simpson, who have been collectively acquiring art for the past 40 years.
The pair met through King’s father who went to university with Simpson about 40 years ago. When King and his father came to the Costa del Sol, he ran into Simpson, who had just moved to the area.
The duo quickly formed a bond with their combined passion for art and started to consider how they could share their interest with the public. Opening their own gallery, a first for them both, was the answer.
This twist of fate led to the creation of the gallery and its name.
Aside from being a place where people can buy pieces of art, the founders have also emphasised that they want the gallery to be a community space where anyone can feel welcome.
King says they have already invited schools as a way to encourage people to consider careers within art and get young people engaged.
“My family has been collecting art for decades,” King said. “Growing up experiencing all these different colours, shapes, sculptures, and paintings has always been a part of my life and I’ve always appreciated it. When I met Kevin, we both realised that we have a passion for art and that we should really do our part so other people know what’s available.”
In wanting to create a space where everyone can enjoy art, the gallery boasts a range of different artistic styles, from graffiti to worldplay.
“Not everyone might be a fan of cartoon works but some people might love it. There’s something completely different for everyone,” King said.
“Also, knowing that not everybody can have an original canvas work, we have print editions at additional price points,” he added.
Their relationship with the artists is at the foundation of the gallery. Even the artists’ connections with each other have allowed their works to “bounce off each other,” according to King.
“There’s a lot of close connections in British urban contemporary art and we’ve been involved in that scene, not as an art gallery, but as collectors. We’ve had all these artists all over our house for years. We chose to do this because we wanted every artist that we liked from all over the world to showcase their work,” he said.
Pure Evil, a street graffiti artist who works with prints, said that he found out about the curators and their gallery through The Connor Brothers, who also have their work on display.
“As opposed to other galleries that ask artists for their work on loan and then pay us once it’s sold, the curators bought the work directly from us,” said Pure Evil, who was present at the pre-opening event.
Featuring art from Europe and America that includes provocative images, butterflies wings, and spins on classic symbols, this art gallery offers a taste of the modern and contemporary art scene like no other in the area, claim the curators.
“We realised that there was such a big potential based on the fact that nobody else here could find anything similar to what we’re doing. And here we are trying it,” King added.
