Miki Leal is a Spanish painter and multidisciplinary artist whose work defies strict classification, blending figuration with pop, surrealist, and abstract influences. His artistic process is deeply rooted in a fascination with memory, social patterns, and the passage of time. Leal draws inspiration from everyday objects, music, literature, and graphic design, often incorporating tiled surfaces, geometric motifs, and signs of material erosion. His paintings reflect a playful yet thoughtful engagement with both personal and cultural narratives, transforming familiar imagery into poetic visual compositions.
Leal studied Fine Arts at the University of Seville and currently lives and works in Madrid. Throughout his career, he has experimented with various media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and installation. In 1999, he co-founded The Richard Channin Foundation, an influential artist collective active until 2004, which was later honored with a retrospective at the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in 2019. He also played a key role in establishing the Madrid-based project Noestudio, fostering artistic collaboration and dialogue. His work has been showcased in prestigious exhibitions, including at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, MUSAC, and the Artium Museum. In 2016, he participated in ARCO with F2 Galería, and his works have been featured in significant shows like “Cocodrilos en la pista” (2019) and “Mariposas y cocodrilos” (2019).
Leal has received numerous awards, including the BMW Painting Prize (2016), the Rafael Boti Biennial Painting Prize (2013), and the Altadis Painting Award (2006). His works are part of esteemed collections such as the Museo Reina Sofía, the Fundación Bancaria La Caixa, and the Red Bull Collection, among others. Currently represented by F2 Galería in Madrid, Leal continues to push the boundaries of contemporary painting while expanding his practice into sculpture and new artistic formats.