Santiago de Chile, Chile, 1979
Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Sebastian Silva is a Chilean filmmaker and artist known for his unique and unconventional approach to filmmaking, as well as his provocative and boundary-pushing paintings and drawings.

Silva began his career as a filmmaker in the early 2000s, and has since directed and produced several critically acclaimed films, including “La vida me mata” (2007), “The Maid” (2009), “Nasty Baby” (2015), and “Rotting In The Sun” (2022). His films often explore themes of identity, sexuality, and social norms, and are characterized by their dark humor and offbeat sensibility.

In addition to his work in film, Silva is an accomplished and prolific visual artist, having spent the majority of his life actively drawing and sketching. Inspired by a childhood depicting classic cartoons, Silva’s large format paintings are an effort to become more physical and gestural, embracing the sensuality of curved lines and exaggerated forms. His abstractions convey a sense of energy and movement with splotches of colors, shapes, and textures allowing the artist liberation from the constraints of realistic depictions.

In the past year, the Sebastian Silva has embarked on a new line of investigation for his paintings, by utilizing AI technology to inspire new shapes and forms in his abstractions through a process of feeding images of his artworks into an AI program. The program then outputs newly imagined mashup compositions from which the artist might draw inspiration for his next brushstrokes on the canvas.

In 2021, Silva had his first solo exhibition with OMR in the gallery’s emergent artist space, Bodega OMR. Titled The Elephant in the Room, the show signaled the filmmaker’s move into the public eye as a visual artist, by showing a series of paintings and drawings marked by a distinctive abstracted style.  

 

CV

Education

Escuela de Cine de Chile, Santiago de Chile.

Solo Exhibitions

2021
The Elephant in the Room, Bodega OMR, Mexico City, Mexico

2011
Look, Mom!, David Castillo Gallery, Miami, USA

Group Exhibitions & Projects

2022
Salón: Sebastian Silva, LagoAlgo, Mexico City, Mexico
Ritual Being, Ryan Lee Gallery, New York, USA

Art Fairs

2023
OMR, Art Basel
OMR, Zona MACO

2022
OMR, Art Basel Miami Beach
OMR, Estación Material, Vol. 2
OMR, Frieze London

Filmography

2022
Rotting in the Sun, USA

2021
Captain Dad, USA

2018
Fistful of Dirt, USA
Tyrel, USA

2016
Dolfun, USA
Madly, ARG, AU

2015
Guagua Cochina, USA, CL
Nasty Baby, USA, CL

2013
Magic Magic, USA, CL
Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus, USA, CL

2010
Gatos Viejos, USA

2009
La Nana, CL, MX

2007
La Vida Me Mata, CL, MX

Awards & Nominations

2014
Teddy Award, Berlin International Film Festival: Best Feature Film: Nasty Baby

2013
Sundance Festival, Directing Award, World Cinema – Dramatic: Crystal Fairy

2010
Altazor Awards, Best Director: The Maid

2009
Sundance Festival, Sundance Grand Jury Prize: The Maid
Nomination, Golden Globes Awards, Best Foreign Language Film: The Maid

2008
Pedro Sienna Awards, Best Film: La Vida Me Mata

Publications

Sebastian: The Woman. An Autobiography. 2021. OMR