Despierta del sueño

Johnny López's work Despierta del sueño challenges the boundary between the physical and dream worlds, inviting viewers into a space where reality and illusion converge. Drawing from the concept of lucid dreams, where one is aware of dreaming while immersed in mental rest, López transforms this idea into a visual and conceptual experience. His glasses, both utilitarian and artistic, offer an invitation to question the nature of perception. Inspired by pre-Columbian Colombian culture, they feature designs infused with mysticism and symbols from diverse spiritual, cultural, and intellectual traditions. Through 'Johnnyglifics', a unique language blending his name with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, López's explores the themes of identity, perception, and reality. The artwork leads viewers to reconsider the boundaries of the waking and dream worlds, offering a moment of reflection, and inviting them to experience the magic of lucid dreaming while awakening to new possibilities.

Born in Colombia, Johnny López was characterized from an early age by his active imagination and a deep passion for drawing. He initially pursued studies in business administration and international business. However, in 2010, during a trip to Europe, a visit to the Louvre Museum and his contemplation of 'The Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci reignited his love for art.

In 2011, López shifted his focus and began his artistic career in Barcelona, Spain, leaving behind his business studies. He then moved to Florence, Italy, where he earned a Certificate in Fine Arts from the Istituto Lorenzo de' Medici. In 2015, López graduated in Fine Arts from the Florence campus of Marist College, an American university in New York. The following year, he was selected as an official copyist at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
López's greatest inspiration comes from his lucid dreams, where his projects begin to take shape in the magical realm of the subconscious. His work pays homage to the pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia, blending the ancestral with the contemporary, and the material world with the oneiric world. He works across various mediums, including sculpture, painting, installation, and muralism. López currently resides and works in Bogotá, Colombia.