Biography
Dario D’Milán, a Colombian visual artist, painter, and writer, currently based in London. I was born in the town of Rozo, in the Valle del Cauca, as the second of seven siblings and now a father of five children. My works are focused on representing emeralds as a way to transmit messages and codes, as they are my muses and I have a deep love for these gemstones. Through painting, I not only seek to immortalize them but also create sub-realistic worlds and transform what cannot be transformed. It is creating illusion through contact with the material.
Art is a philosophy of life for me, and painting is a metaphysical means of communication. It is what one believes, and what I believe is that we all have genius within us, we are jewels that need to be polished and mold. Every human being has an inner richness that should be revealed to the world, even though in most instances this richness remains hidden. Additionally, through my art, I seek to represent my country, as Colombia is the second largest exporter of emeralds. I have chosen this stone as a symbol.
The right question I asked myself one day was: how do I want to be known? I want to be known as the painter of emerald rocks and the one who looks after your interests. I aim to awaken curiosity, as the emerald itself is an enigmatic piece that evokes passion. The color green is a symbol of wealth and abundance. The word “emerald” derives from the Greek word “smaragdos,” meaning green. But its meaning goes beyond that; it is the experience that one lives with the artwork.
Within my artworks, I wish to represent love, the enigmatic, abundance, spirituality, the reason for being, the sixth sense, human development, human struggle, facing fears, breaking barriers and obstacles. Eroticism also finds its place in my works, as well as metaphysical codes of personal growth, harmony with nature and the universe. Each of my paintings is a window to a world full of meaning and emotions that I invite you to explore and discover.
Among my artworks, “The Kiss” tells a love story that speaks for itself. It’s the profound feeling between a man and a woman, a kiss that changes the entire life story between two beings who love each other. Many things are done for love, including inspiring the artist. The energy of a kiss and the intrinsic love are an enigma, and the kiss becomes emerald codes of creative power, of conquering what is desired and sublime surrender.
“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony” is a bust in emerald rock of Beethoven, where one gets lost in the melody, the profound silence, and the emerald codes. Listening to this piece is immersing oneself in a world of silence and words that speak through his gaze. It is the elixir of encountering parallel worlds of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, in a format that combines painting, sculpture, and music, providing an indescribable sensation that cannot be explained, only experienced in front of the artwork.
“Egypt” is another of my artworks that allows us to travel through the tunnel of time and return to ancient Egypt with all its mysteries and enigmas of a millennia-old culture that has left a great legacy to humanity. Pharaoh Ramses is the most emblematic figure of this ancient empire that reigned in the 12th century. Emeralds were one of the most cherished gemstones by the ancient queen Cleopatra, who knew the enigmatic power of these stones. Cleopatra owned emerald mines and used to gift them with her engraved portrait. My emerald artworks and paintings reveal another mystery that is captured in a book I have just written called “Emerald Codes.”
Yours sincerely.
Dario D’ Milán
