Santiago Pani (b. 1990, Mexico) is a visual artist currently based in Leiden, The Netherlands. He grew up in Tequisquiapan, a small village near Mexico City, surrounded by a community of artists—his father, Knut Pani, being an established artist himself. Immersed in this creative environment from an early age, art became an inevitable and natural path. He studied at La Esmeralda (ENPEG, Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado) in Mexico City, where he began developing his distinct visual language.
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From the outset, Santiago has been driven by a search for a pictorial language uniquely his own—one that transcends artistic trends and resonates on a subconscious level. His work explores the human figure as a fragmented memory, inspired by anonymous characters: fleeting faces encountered in dreams, passing glances, or the depths of the subconscious. These figures emerge at the threshold of recognition, surfacing and dissolving, much like how forgotten moments are reconstructed in the mind.
In recent years, his practice has leaned towards abstraction, exploring the invisible threshold of perception—questioning which elements are essential for something to be recognized as a face, and how far they can be deconstructed before dissolving entirely. This inquiry echoes the philosophical questions of representation: when does something become, or cease to be, what it is?
His latest series deepens this exploration through a playful, intuitive approach. Embracing spontaneity, he connects to a childlike state of creation, where gesture, stain, and accident are active forces shaping meaning. The tension between control (line) and randomness (stain) reflects a dialogue between free will and predetermined chaos, reinforcing the idea that perception is always fluid.
Santiago’s work invites viewers to reflect on how we recognize, remember, and construct reality—whether in a dream, on a canvas, or within the shifting landscapes of our subconscious.
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De Galerie Den Haag offers you a choice of 11 werken from Santiago Pani. Click on one of the works for more information and availability for hire.
