Barcelona-based illustrator Nicolás Valencia’s intimate depictions of voluptuous forms

After moving to Barcelona from Bogota, illustrator Nicolás Valencia noticed a distinct change in his style. Moving away from clashing colours and comic book-like characters, Nicolás’ work is now more subdued in colour palette and there’s a real focus on expression in his figures. 

All set against natural landscapes of succulent leaves and blossoming flowers, Nicolás’ work is mixture of single forms and couples. There’s an intimacy and eroticism to some of his works as his languid, chunky-limbed figures lay peacefully together, cupping each other’s bits and bobs. Here Nicolás is exploring gender, identity and sexuality, and verges on the X-rated. There’s still a sweetness to his illustrations helped by the soft shapes and sensitively-drawn actions of his characters. 

In the less raunchy illustrations Nicolas is keen to represent the emotional states of people by exaggerating them. A number of the Colombian illustrator’s pictures see heavily crying figures with visible raindrop-like tears cascading down becoming another element in the image.