Santiago Ydáñez (Jaén, 1969) is one of the most highly reputed Spanish painters at present. Painting is an opaque mirror where reality is reflected through the hand and gaze of the painter. When thought of in this way, it becomes a ductile, malleable and flexible tool for working on and against reality, and all the more in this contemporary reality where images live together harmoniously while their contents are desacralised or solemnised. Santiago Ydáñez was introduced to the Spanish artistic scene in the late 1990s thanks to various awards that ratified the extraordinary quality of his works. His disturbing and often harsh images in thick brushstrokes communicate sensations like surprise or pain. The work of the Andalusian artist is based on profound observation and impregnated with childhood memories blended with his cultural interests, such as the history of art or great works of literature. A student of the human condition, he explores the diffuse limits between spirituality and the most carnal worldliness. His work can be seen in places like the Fundación Botín, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the CAAM – Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno in Las Palmas, and many others.