Gabidelamerced_Portrait
Born in Madrid, he studied traditional animation at the Madrid School of Film (ECAM). He has worked as an illustrator both for big companies’ campaigns and at a more underground level for local skateboard brands or independent record labels. For a long time he combined this activity with his work as a colourist for film features and commercials, thus acquiring a background in the colour field, an aesthetic criteria and a narrative sense that would be key for the development of his later work.
Among his countless influences, elements of the past collide with modern culture icons. The Old Masters, the Book of Revelation, medieval engravings or Classical Mythology have the same importance as the Masters of the Universe, Warren magazines, early skateboard graphics or the legends associated to an obscure musician.
Self-taught, in his meticulously detailed and obsessively rendered graphite drawings and acrylic paintings he finds the perfect allies to organize all those images piled up chaotically in his mind and a getaway in order to make sense of them, as well as to continue developing his interest in the exploration of light and colour.
Clients include Leo Burnett, El País, Shackleton, Repsol, Orange, Springfield, Save the Children, Movistar and Big Legal Mess / Fat Possum Records among others.
Nace en Madrid y estudia Animación Tradicional en la ECAM. Ha trabajado como ilustrador tanto para campañas de grandes compañías, como a un nivel más underground para marcas locales de skate o sellos discográficos independientes. Durante un larga temporada compagina esta faceta con la de colorista para publicidad y cine, adquiriendo un bagaje en el campo del color, un criterio estético y un sentido narrativo claves para el desarrollo de su obra posterior.
Entre sus incontables influencias, elementos del pasado conviven con iconos de la cultura moderna. De esta manera, los maestros de la pintura clásica, el Libro de la Revelaciones, los grabados medievales o la Mitología clásica tienen la misma importancia que los Masters del Universo, las publicaciones de Warren, los gráficos de los albores del skate o las leyendas asociadas a un oscuro músico.
Autodidacta, en sus meticulosamente detalladas y obsesivamente trabajadas obras en grafito y pintura acrílica encuentra a los aliados perfectos para organizar todas esas imágenes que se agolpan caóticamente en su interior y una vía de escape para darles sentido, al igual que para continuar desarrollando su interés en la exploración de la luz y el color.
Sus clientes incluyen Leo Burnett, El País, Shackleton, Repsol, Orange, Springfield, Save the Children, Movistar y Big Legal Mess / Fat Possum Records entre otros.

Selected Exhibitions

2024

September “The 19th Annual BLAB! Show”. Curated by Monte Beauchamp. Copro Gallery. Santa Monica, CA
February “LA Art Show 2024”. Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall, Booth 1113 (Copro Gallery). Los Angeles, CA

2023
September “The 18th Annual BLAB! Show”. Curated by Monte Beauchamp. Copro Gallery. Santa Monica, CA

2021
September “The 16th Annual BLAB! Show”. Curated by Monte Beauchamp. Copro Gallery. Santa Monica, CA
July “Dark Art 2021”. Beinart Gallery. Melbourne, AUS
May “Small works 2021”. Beinart Gallery. Melbourne, AUS
April “Fiends of the Dark II”. Online Group Exhibition. WOW x WOW

2020
December “Dibumad 2020”. CentroCentro. Galería de cristal, Cibeles. Madrid, SP
December “Mazoka Feria”. Montehermoso Kulturunea. Vitoria-Gasteiz, SP
September “The 15th Annual BLAB! Show”. Curated by Monte Beauchamp. Copro Gallery. Santa Monica, CA
June “Parallel Truths”. Online Group Exhibition. WOW x WOW
May “Microvisions 3”. Online Group Exhibition. WOW x WOW
April “Fiends of the Dark”. Online Group Exhibition. WOW x WOW

2019
September “The 14th Annual BLAB! Show”. Curated by Monte Beauchamp. Copro Gallery. Santa Monica, CA
March “On the Edge of Oblivion”. Three Person Show. Revolution Gallery. NY

2018
October  “Beyond the Untold”. WOW x WOW
July  “Invitations to Travel”. WOW x WOW
May  “Super Reverie”. WOW x WOW
April  “Microvisions”. WOW x WOW

2017
October “WOW²”. WOW x WOW
March “Laluzapalooza 2017”. La Luz de Jesus Gallery. Los Angeles, CA

2016
September “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk”. Grammy Museum. Los Angeles, CA
September “The 4th Annual Coaster Show”. La Luz de Jesus Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
April “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk”. Queens Museum. New York
February “Pixel Hearts”. Gallery 1988. Los Angeles, CA
January “Lápiz, Papel o Tijera”. Plastic Murs. Valencia, SP

2015
December “Second Brooklyn Biennial”. Curated by Tara McPherson. The Cotton Candy Machine. New York
September “Guillermo del Toro: In Service of Monsters”. Gallery 1988. Los Angeles, CA
September “Carbon Group Show”. Sally Centigrade Art Gallery. Denver, CO
September “Mas Brutos, Más Feos, Más Cachondos”. Plastic Murs. Valencia, SP
June “5th Annual Tiny Trifecta”. Curated by Tara McPherson. The Cotton Candy Machine. New York
April “Seven Year Anniversary”. Phone Booth Gallery. Long Beach, CA
March “Welcome Home”. Plastic Murs. Valencia, SP

2014
November “Portraits”. Curated by Plastic Murs. Slowtrack. Madrid, SP
September “The 2nd Annual Coaster Show”. La Luz de Jesus Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
September “Strong to the Finich!”. Hero Complex Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
June “4th Annual Tiny Trifecta”. Curated by Tara McPherson. The Cotton Candy Machine. New York
May “Hellboy 20th Anniversary Show”. Hero Complex Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
February “Catz!”. LTD Art Gallery. Seattle

2013
December “Brooklyn Biennial”. The Cotton Candy Machine. New York

Press

Thrasher Magazine: Thrasher Canvas August 2018
Blopop Magazine Volume Three: Featured Artist
Wow x Wow: Diminishments and Sacrifices – Artist Interview
Supersonic Art: Sensational, stylized paintings by Gabi de la Merced
Staf Magazine: Folio Art (Spanish)
Hi-Fructose: Laluzapalooza 2017
Juxtapoz Magazine: Brooklyn Biennial
Creep Machine Magazine: 2nd Annual Coaster Show
Beautiful Bizarre: Tiny Trifecta 2015