Landscape as Resistance

A fundamental pillar of Alejandro Villalobos's work is the experience of the Costa Rica Trail (2018), a coast-to-coast journey that solidified his philosophy: the landscape is first walked and experienced, and only then painted. This spiritual dimension, combined with his technical rigor developed at the University of Costa Rica and his internship with Robert Blackburn in New York, allows Villalobos to present a body of work where industrial materials and the natural environment engage in a dialogue through the "footprint" of the walker.

Alejandro Villalobos Cabezas (San José, Costa Rica, 1962) is a Costa Rican visual artist whose work explores landscape as a cultural, environmental, and symbolic construct. His practice includes painting, metal engraving, drawing, and mixed media. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in engraving from the University of Costa Rica and completed advanced printmaking studies in New York. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries in Costa Rica, Latin America, the United States, and Europe. Villalobos has received numerous awards, including the Francisco Amighetti National Award for Visual Arts. His work is part of significant institutional collections such as the Central Bank of Costa Rica, the Costa Rican Art Museum, and the World Bank Collection. He lives and works in San José, Costa Rica.