Aldo Balding – Short biography and most famous paintings

January 23, 2024 at 4:12 pm 1 comment

Aldo Balding – British Figurative Artist

born in 1960 in Southsea, England.
Nationality: British
Occupation: Figurative painter
Unique distinction: Aldo Bolding has been recognized for his ability to capture the essence and emotion of his subjects, his high level of drawing skill, as well as his pleasant and beautiful subject matter.
Influenced by: Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla and Munnings,
Movement: Contemporary figurative art movement.
Style: His style can be described as contemporary figurative realism, with a focus on capturing the human form and emotion.
He incorporates elements of realism, expressionism, and impressionism, characterized by vibrant use of colour, and a strong emphasis on capturing human emotions and stories.
Aldo’s painting style is also romantic, narrative and almost cinematic.
Subjects: His subjects often include portraits, human figures and everyday scenes, with a focus on capturing the individuality and inner life of his subjects.
Mediums: Aldo Balding works primarily with oil paints on canvas

The main contribution to Art: The chief peculiarity and novelty of his art lies in the ability to infuse his paintings with a sense of emotional depth and realism, to add an element of mystery to the paintings and let the viewer fill in the gaps to determine what is going on.
“I always try to put an element of mystery in my work,” he says. “You can suggest so much in a gesture, in the way someone stands. I like narrative in painting because it casts the viewer into a voyeuristic role.”
Aldo explains why so many of the figures in his work have their backs to us: “When a person is face-on, it’s a portrait, and the mystique is gone.”
In his paintings, he’s just telling his captivating, open-ended stories and trying to convey the feeling of the timeless feel of his work. “I prefer to think of the scenes I depict as timeless. They are little dramas that could be from any era.”
Aldo’s intention is to capture a moment in time, rather than an individual frame from a feature film.
He works quickly and a mid-sized painting normally takes between 2 to 3 days in an ‘alla prima’ style as he tries to keep the ‘wet-in-wet’ technique.
He prefers to be “stingy” in colour tones, using no more than five or six at any one time. “I consider myself a tonalist painter, – Aldo says, – though colour is another tool I like to employ to influence mood. I look for colour harmonies that already exist in the subject. .”

Awards: Aldo Balding has been awarded ‘Best of Show’ in the Boldbrush Competition (2013), was an Arc Salon Finalist in 2004, 2006 and 2016, and took first prize in the NSE Exhibition and Artist International competition (2003) and Artist International first prize (2002).
Education background: He initially studied civil engineering and architecture before deciding to go to art school around the age of 22. He then studied Illustration and Graphic Design at The University of Southampton Faculty of Art and Design.

Professional work experience: Beginning his career as a freelance illustrator his work appeared in and on the front covers of numerous magazines including the Sunday Times Culture Magazine, TV Times and Punch and an array of advertising agencies. He moved to the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France in 2004 to become a full-time artist where he now paints and runs art workshops.
Throughout his career, Balding has exhibited his work in numerous galleries and exhibitions around the world. Balding is represented worldwide in galleries across the UK, USA, France, and South Africa. Balding’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries around the world, such as:
Solo Exhibitions
2020, 2019 Galerie Anagama Versailles
2020, 2015, 2013, 2011: Christopher Moller Art, Cape Town, South Africa
2008, 2006: Catto Gallery, London 2006: Alexander Gallery, Bristol
His paintings have been shown at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the BP Awards at the National Portrait Gallery.
The Frieder Burda Museum in Baden Baden also has his work in their collection.
Personal life: Aldo Balding was born in 1960 in Southsea, England. He was born and raised in the United Kingdom and currently lives in the South of France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.