The Mediterranean treasures a magnetism that is difficult to explain. What kind of influence does the sea exert on us, dragging us wherever it is? One can sit on the beach and let oneself be rocked by the lullaby of the waves, lose oneself in the shades of blue that shimmer in the sun. Some say that the sea instills respect; others, on the other hand, plumb its depths, study its textures, surrender to its aesthetics to realize that it is there, in the regions bathed by its beauty, where they want to build their home. That was the decision Belén Pez made eight years ago, an illustrator who after spending three lustrums in Madrid - she is from Toledo - set her sights on the Balearics because she wanted to move near the turquoise of its waters. "This was the goal: to live by the sea. That's how we got the momentum. We also wanted a job where there were no bosses and that we were passionate about, that our way of life would be our work and our illusion". Belén speaks in the plural because these desires also include her partner: Kilian Bermúdez. A photographer from Madrid whose role in Belén's art has been decisive, as has Mallorca.
And although a place can be decisive when it comes to influencing someone's work, it is true that without talent and effort it is difficult to reach a successful conclusion. Such is the case of Belén. "I've been painting since I was a child. I studied high school in arts and I always had an interest in painting, but I never thought I could dedicate myself to this at a professional level". Despite the incredulity that assails her when she contemplates her present, Belén's beginnings correspond to those of a restless mind. From a young age, she demonstrated a spirit very attached to the arts, an early connection that explains her current skills as an illustrator. We found ourselves surrounded by her work at the stall she has at a street market in La Rambla, Palma. "At first I thought I was going to devote myself to music or theater. In Toledo I went to classes at the conservatory and in Madrid I studied cinema. I never thought I was going to make a living from my paintings." It is difficult to make a living with art, there is no doubt about that; but when we turn our heads to appreciate Belén Pez's work, we understand that she has found her place in the niches offered by this romantic profession.
"Painting has a part of relief and evasion, of not thinking about anything".
In her creations there is an intangible element that induces relaxation, calmness. Her paintings express a sense of peace and a good vibe that perhaps is due - here we are guessing - to the tranquility with which she herself produces them. "Unlike music and theater, for me painting has always been a way to escape. Before shooting a short film or giving a concert I had to prepare a lot, I had to work hard. On the other hand, painting has something of an outlet and an escape, of not thinking about anything". Sometimes there is a constant in the work of every artist, and we believe that Belén's is no exception. Her work is composed of sheets of different dimensions in which her tireless imagination projects images where the feminine presence plays a preeminent role. Figures of girls in bathing suits wearing a pamela, of girls skateboarding illuminated by the sun, of women wrapped in bathrobes wearing sunglasses. All of them have a common denominator: their faces have no features. Undefined faces that confer a degree of anonymity that, on the other hand, facilitates an enormous level of identification with the public. Anyone could be one of them.
Although the trigger that marks the start of her career goes way back, Belén's artistic career - at least the one she has disclosed to the public - was born with the project with Kilian, her life partner. "In Kiliart he was in charge of the photographic area because that is his job. I dedicated myself to the purely artisan side of things: cutting and sanding wood, applying bitumen, painting the frames. The act of painting has always been there. I also made the designs for the stickers and cards. At the beginning it was a two-person project. The sea forms the backbone of Kilian's artwork, portraying the beaches of Mallorca which, in a way, were the magnet for this couple to move to the Balearics. However, the situation began to take other forms when Kiliart set out on his own. Then came the pandemic, the confinement, and Belén worked hard to recover a talent that had never disappeared, although she had to polish it to show it in all its splendor. "I don't know if it was because of the boredom of the pandemic, but I started painting a lot. It came up on its own, it wasn't a planned decision. Suddenly, I started publishing what I was doing and the first commissions came in."
"I started to focus on everyday situations here. I started to draw more Mediterranean".
These first requests from the public caught Belén Pez by surprise; at that time, her work was not even for sale. Her drawings permeated her followers through social networks, her name began to be heard and her style also evolved. In the beginning, Belén approached her creative process with other materials, mainly pencils and watercolor pads. It was only later, when she discovered some very useful courses in Domestika, that the digitization of her art illuminated new paths for her. Today, the tablet is for her the tool with which she expresses herself through stories, strokes and color. "It was at that moment when I started to focus on everyday situations here. I started to draw more Mediterranean. I make a mix of what I already liked to do before with my girls and I apply it to the elements and traditions of Mallorca". Belén is referring to the prickly pear cactus trees that line the roadsides, to a plate of pa amb oli served on a table, to one of the bunkers floating on the sand of Es Trenc. This is how Belén's artistic ingenuity works today, and she caught the attention of H&M so that she could exhibit on the walls of their store in Palma. An achievement that brought a turning point in her career, because "it was a brutal showcase that has launched me to get many jobs".
When Belén Pez talks about these works, she mentions several successes: the poster for the HM Hotels Sunset Parties, the container she painted for the After Sun Market in Port Adriano, the illustration she was commissioned to do for the first anniversary of Uco Bakery or the fantastic fifteen-meter mural she painted for the Let's Art Festival 2022. Markets are one of the points of sale where her work can be purchased. Markets like this one where we are today, behind the scenes, behind the counter where the curious stop. Estiu Concept Store, Rialto Living, Just Sant Elm, Rem Taller, La Insular and Etcétera have also bet on her art, which keeps growing because her talent and her way of life are always on the move. To capture their inspiration, Belén and Kilian pack their belongings into their caravan and travel the island with their dogs in search of the muses. "The last time we were in Formentera I took the tablet with me. One day we were having a beer and I got up to draw a church in the middle of a square. Travel is what inspires me the most".
