Artospective: War Paintings by Haitz de Diego from Spain.

Syrian war Series about a escape of a father and his little daughter from Syria.

An Interview with Amanda Greive.

Who and where are you from?

My name is Haitz de Diego. I was born in 1979 in a little coastal town called Ondarroa, in the Basque Country (Spain).

How you got into this?

I was raised and immersed to the world of painting and illustration an early stage spending the hours drawing in my grandfa´s lap while my parents continued their studies. However, they soon realized the drawing was not a mere child hobby but a passion for me.

In primary school I would just be able to focus with a pencil in hand and letting my imagination fly away.

At the age of 17, I left my hometown to move to San Sebastian and study 3 years of graphic arts. After this experience I decided it was the moment to jump to the big city, Barcelona, where I continued studying graphic arts 3 more years, time that made me perfect different techniques of drawing and painting. In order to pay for my studies, I worked in various projects of full-length, short films and different him producers in Barcelona as well in Madrid, stage in which I got specialized in storyboard and support in campaign designing for a number of prestigious directors and advertisement agencies (Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy, etc...).

Trying to leave no stone upturned, as it said, I decided to step by myself and initiate this project that had been long postponed. After working in some of my canvas for commissioned work, I decided to prioritize this and I remembered that time with my grandparents. I realized that although I was told I cannot live from my passion. This was the thing that made me proud. Happiness of being able to work long hours in my study and seeing the result of my work.

What is your driving force?

Those things that make me feel alive basically. What is happening in this world of madness pushes me to tell my opinion about this in form of painting.

What kind of work you do and why?

Nowadays I'm painting acrylic on canvas about Syrian war.

Tell us more about the "Syrian" Series.

Hope is the last thing you can lose, so you can see a little part of light in this heart-rending darkness. Colors are desaturated, brush-strokes are rude, the illumination is weak... that's what my heart feels and displays on a empty square.

This is the story about how a father and his little daughter escapes from this untouchable transparent reality.