Gonzalo Varela Profile: Visual Artist born in Argentina. Fine Art Degree in Buenos Aries. Worked in Barcelona for 10 years and formed a collective art studio. Arrived in Melbourne in 2009 and founded Magic Lantern Studio. Working on Murals commissions, puppetry and running workshops. In recent years he has developed numerous artistic projects in schools in the city and in South Gippsland, where he lives.
Education
University National of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bachelor of Fine Arts 1990 - 1997
Major in Painting and Sculpture
Carlos Pacheco Studio 1992 - 1999
Advanced techniques in the application of a variety of painting mediums.
Work Experience
Magic Lantern Studio (Melbourne)
2009 - 2025
Co-Founder, Art Director. Running Workshops: Life Drawing Sessions, Painting in all mediums, Murals and Puppetry
Vesartesiempre Studio (Barcelona)
2000 - 2009
Manager and Artistic Director. Artists Collective. Coordinating Artist and Painting murals in Barcelona.
University of La Plata (Buenos Aires) 1994 - 1999
Teacher: Theory and Technique of Visual Art III
Solo Exhibitions
2009 -Urban Projects, Antidoto 28 Gallery , Raval, Barcelona, Spain
2008 - Normas, Cala d´or, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2007 - Exhibition, Trébol Gallery, Pueblo Español, Barcelona, Spain.
2006 - Gonzalo Varela se muestra, Fousion Gallery, Gótico, Barcelona, Spain.
2004 - Heavy Mental, Exhibition, Espai B Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.
2003 - Paintings, Restaurant Tahira, Borne, Barcelona, Spain
2001 - Paintings from where? Restaurant Caigo, Gótico, Barcelona, Spain.
1998 - Gonzalo Varela Exhibition, Art- Luxe Gallery, Los Ángeles, Cal, USA.
Group Exhibitions
2024 - Full Circle exhibition, Stockyard Galllery. Foster.
2023 - Art Cube Residency. Fish Creek.
2019 - Wyndham Art Prize Finalists. Melbourne
2016 - Belle Arti Prize, Chapman & Bailey Gallery. Melbourne.
2010 - Fusion Art Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.
2005 - Museo Islas Malvinas, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1998 - Young Artists of Buenos Aires, Museum “Eduardo Sivori” Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1997 - Navegando Show with García Zúñiga, Ungaro, Varela. La Plata, Argentina.
1996 - Muestra del Único día, La Fabriquera artspace, La Plata, Argentina.
1994 - Moving exhibition “Meridiano V”, La Plata, Argentina
1992 - Master and the disciple, Carlos Pacheco. Club Universitario, La Plata, Argentina.
1991 - Taller Viejo Molino, Centro de Artes Visuales, La Plata, Argentina.
Awards and Grants
2021 - Creative Victoria Creative Partnerships: “As far as any volcano can remember, no star has ever been seen to Age” Wonthaggi North Primary School.
2021- Regional Arts Victoria Creative Workers in Schools. Graphic Books. Meeniyan Primary School.
2021 - Creative Victoria Vic Arts Grant (Creative development): Conan the Bacterium Dance/ Puppetry/ Holography Performance & Film.
2020 - “Girls Own Space” (Sth Gippsland Council/Vic Health). Korumburra Railway Underpass Community Art Mural
2019 - Finalist, Wyndham prize, Melbourne
2018 - Winner Green Room Award, Life is a Carousel, Puppetry, Melbourne.
- Our Special space, Creative Victoria, Artists in School Program.
2016 - Highly Commended, Chapman and Bailey, Belle Arti Prize, Australia
1997 - First Prize, XVII Salón Municipal, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1995 -Highly Commended, Young artists Prize, Museum of Art Fra Angelico, spatial experiences. Buenos Aires.
1994 -First Prize, Young artists prize, Museum Art Fra Angelico, painting, La Plata. Buenos Aires.
1993 - Second Prize, young artists, Museum Art Fra Angelico, painting, La Plata, Buenos Aires.
1992 -Highly Commended, Young Artist Prize, Buenos Aires, Painting
Work Commissions
2025 - Mural at Korumburra Main Street, South Gippsland Shire Council.
2024 - Mural at Tarwing Lower Primary School.
2022 - Murals at Meeniyan Primary School, workshop with kids.
2020 - Postcards of Tango. Painting video for a South American Musical at Frankston Art Centre.
2019 - Mural at Frankston Psychiatric Hospital.
2018 - White Night Festival: The Man Who cannot sleep. Writing, produced and performing show.
- Live Painting Mural at Language Spanish Festival Performance.
- Proscenium Theatre for World on String, International Puppet Festival at Chadstone. Melb.
- La Mama Theatre: Co-Director, Producer and Puppeteer of Play ¨Life is a Carrousel¨ at International Puppet Festival. (Winner of the Green Room Award 2018 Puppetry).
2017 - Arts in School Residence, Mentoring of Mural, Collinwood Lenguaje School, Melbourne.
-Moomba Festival: Coordinate the puppeteers and perform at the Parade.
- Melbourne Museum: Design and production of large insect’s puppets. Coordinación of puppeteers for Street performances. Bugs Lab Exhibition. Melbourne.
2016 - Mural at Acacia Creche. Fitzroy, Street Art. Melb.
- Ghost Train, Proscenium for Luna Park, St Kilda/ Melbourne
- Mural for Bandicoot area, Open Range Werribee Zoo.
2015 - Puppet Theatre Prosceniumfor Werribee Open Range Zoo.
- High Striker, Mural for atraction at Luna Park, St Kilda, Melb.
- Sculpture in Collaboration with Vodoo Productions for Werribee Open Range Zoo, Entry.
2014 - Werribee Zoo Mural in collaboration with the Artist Phillip Woodman.
2008 - Fusion Festival, Mural for “Cirque Idyllic” Berlin, Germany
2004/ 2008 - Founder of the creative collective Vesartesiempre Barcelona, we created many commissioned murals for the surrounding Community in Barcelona and Madrid.
2003 - Employed by the gallery Very Falsi. ( www.verifalsi.it) painting legal copies of Classic Artist. (Henry Rousseau, Klimt) Rome, Italy.
2001 - Mural at Museo Provincial de La Plata, Eduardo Sivori, Bs As, Argentina.