Leo Villareal

Leo Villareal uses pixels and binary code to craft intricate, rhythmic compositions in light.

Leo Villareal's Art Style

Deeply rooted in abstraction, Villareal employs layered sequencing to generate open-ended and subjective visual experiences. His artworks frequently allude to organic systems, invoking atmospheric elements through emergent and unpredictable behaviors rather than illustrating them with predetermined outcomes.

Having grown up during the advent of home computers, Villareal was captivated by the possibilities offered by new technological tools and software. His exploration of artificial space in art prompted him to explore installation art, where he constructs environments using found objects, video, light, and sound.

Villareal's works, rooted in Minimalism, Conceptual art, and Post-Painterly Abstraction, draw inspiration from artists like Dan Flavin, James Turrell, and Sol LeWitt.

His first LED sculpture, "Hexad" (2002), showcased his early experiments with patterns, color combinations, and light intensity. In his large-scale architectural work, "Supercluster" (2003), featured at MoMA P.S. 1, Villareal utilized a grid of LED nodes to create light patterns inspired by urban traffic and movement.

Exhibitions of Leo Villareal's Works

Leo Villareal has exhibited his creations widely. His solo exhibitions include "Interstella" at Pace Gallery in New York (2023), "Nebulae" at Pace Gallery in Geneva (2023), "Early Light" at El Paso Museum of Art in Texas (2019), "Particle Chamber" at Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University in Houston (2018), "Buckyball" at Exploratorium in San Francisco (2016), and many more.

Additionally, Villareal's works have been featured in numerous group shows held at various galleries and museums worldwide, including Long Museum in Shanghai, New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, King Abdullah Financial District Conference Center in Riyadh, Athr Gallery in Jeddah, Centro Comerical Camino Real in Lima, Red Bull Studios in New York, among others.