Sebas Velasco

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    Sebas Velasco’s Dreamy Oil Paintings Illuminate Cinematic Urban Landscapes

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    “Somewhere in Time,” oil on canvas, 195 x 195 centimeters. All images courtesy of Sebas Velasco and the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina, shared with permission

    Sebas Velasco’s Dreamy Oil Paintings Illuminate Cinematic Urban Landscapes

    April 9, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    Sebas Velasco (previously) has long been drawn to the landscapes and cultures of the Balkans and former Yugoslavian countries in southeastern Europe, where he has spent the past decade traveling and researching for his large-scale paintings and murals.

    The Morning Will Change Everything at the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina marks the Spanish artist’s first institutional exhibition. Inspired by the title of a song by Sarajevo-based band Indexi, the show continues Velasco’s exploration of urban landscapes and themes of relationships and passing time.

    “Wherever I May Roam,” oil on canvas, 195 x 195 centimeters

    Rendered in oil on wood or canvas, Velasco’s paintings depict figures, architecture, and old cars illuminated by street lamps or headlights in a realistic yet dreamlike world. Taking cues from photography through the use of cinematic lighting effects and portraiture, he often juxtaposes contrasting elements like grassy meadows with brutalist high-rises or derelict cars with wildflowers.

    Whether glowing under an orange street light or spotlit against a fuzzy smattering of brake lights and apartment windows, Velasco’s subjects are relaxed, poised, and unhurried. One can imagine the din of car horns, music, and other city noises in the background, yet Velasco emphasizes brief, self-assured interactions as if momentarily, time is at a standstill.

    Nighttime plays a starring role in Velasco’s compositions, which tap into dualities of the known and unknown, revelations and secrets, individuality and anonymity, and the quotidian and the extraordinary. He conjures “gateways to complex socio-economic narratives,” the museum says, emphasizing the power of humanity amid ever-evolving identities and the tumult of globalization.

    Find more on Velasco’s website and Instagram.

    Detail of “Wherever I May Roam”

    “Golf II,” oil on wood, 41 x 27 centimeters

    “The Morning Will Change Everything,” oil on wood, 120 x 120 centimeters

    “Agata,” oil on wood, 81 x 65 centimeters

    Detail of “Agata”

    “Yugo 45 III,” oil on wood, 24 x 35 centimeters

    “Interior Night Sarajevo II,” oil on wood, 46 x 33 centimeters

    Velasco working on a painting in his solo exhibition at the History Museum of Bosnia and Heregovina

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      in Art

      Sebas Velasco Reflects the Spirit of Brixton for London Mural Festival

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      “A Lasting Place” (2024), London. Photo by Jose Delu. All courtesy of London Mural Festival, shared with permission

      Sebas Velasco Reflects the Spirit of Brixton for London Mural Festival

      September 21, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Drawing from photographs of landscapes and cinematic portraits, Sebas Velasco’s murals and paintings boldly capture people and places. For the 2024 London Mural Festival, the artist has unveiled a large-scale portrayal of a local resident of Brixton, where the piece was recently installed on the end of a residential building.

      Shown waiting for the Brixton train line, the young man in Velasco’s painting leans back against a concrete railing and looks off to the side, illuminated by the station’s lights, which also glow in the background. Titled “A Lasting Place,” Velasco taps into a sense of time slowing down, contemplation, and ease.

      Photo by Jose Delu

      Velasco revels in the process of exploring and learning about the places where he develops his public art pieces. The compositions emerge organically as he immerses himself in the local environment and meets people who live in the area.

      Along with his long-time collaborator Jose Delu, who assists with creating highly contrasted, vibrant photographs, Velasco draws on conversations and experiences in each place in order to reveal something of its spirit through his work. He often addresses the idea of connection, which is also the theme of this year’s festival.

      If you’re in London, you can explore more than 100 murals through September 29 as part of the event, including pieces familiar to Colossal readers like Marija Tiurina. New installations this year have been created by Aches Elseed, BAPE, D*Face, Betz Etam, Anna Ovney, and more.

      Find a map on the festival’s website, and to dig further into Velasco’s work, check out his website and Instagram.

      Wedo Goas, 39 Lee Church St

      Bezt Etam, Roundwood Estate

      Liam Bononi, 125 South Lambeth Rd

      Zoe Power, Jo Hicks, and Vanessa Scott, Canary Wharf

      BAPE x D*Face collaboration

      Sophie Mess, The Stage, Shoreditch

      Anna Ovney, Leadenhall Building, City of London

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    • 113 Shares149 Views

      in Street Art

      A New Wall by Sebas Velasco in Sarajevo, Bosnia

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      Sebastián Velasco was born in Burgos, Spain in 1988. He got a Masters degree in Painting from the University of the Basque Country in 2016. Velasco started drawing when he was a child but it was only in 2004 that he began to paint in the street. He paints figurative images, mostly using oil, acrylic, spray paint and pencils.  His photographic, expressive brush stroke style reveals a precise academic technique that contrasts sharply with the rawness of the street content in his works.  In that sense, many of his canvases act as a window for us into everyday moments where strangers are caught in the act with their writer friends.  During these moments, darkness has become increasingly more important.A new wall was recently made during Velasco’s last trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Take a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates. More

    • 138 Shares139 Views

      in Street Art

      A Mural “We Will See” by Sebas Velasco in Ingolstadt, Germany

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      Sebastián Velasco was born in Burgos, Spain in 1988. He got a Masters degree in Painting from the University of the Basque Country in 2016. Velasco started drawing when he was a child but it was only in 2004 that he began to paint in the street.Sebas started to paint with some classmates in his hometown when he was 15 or 16. Then he moved to Bilbao where he met some other graffiti artists and he continued painting and developing to become a muralist.“We will see” project was a collaboration with LANDMARKS project assisted by Jose Delou (photographer) in Ingolstadt, Germany.Sebas about the project: “It has been a pleasure sharing with Jose Delou the research process of the theme and previous context shots for this wall.”Take a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates. More