Gabriel "Gloso" Nieto
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Apr 26
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Gabriel “Gloso” Nieto paints like he’s mid-conversation—with himself, with the world, with whatever’s shifting just under the surface. His work moves between the street and the studio. The figures he paints aren pulled, stretched, reshaped, always in motion. He doesn’t just depict change, he builds it into the surface. Every line, color shift, and distortion feels like part of something unfolding. His paintings carry both urgency and reflection, grounded in technical skill but driven by instinct.
Q: You started with graffiti and now paint oil on canvas. What stuck with you from working on the street?
A: Painting with both graffiti and oil has made me realize how they go hand in hand and feed off each other, though they approach themes and materials differently. Graffiti tends to be looser and more experimental, while fine oil painting is often more calculated and polished, and sometimes vice versa. Through both approaches, I find balance and create a conversation, using technique and color language as tools for the visual storytelling.
Q: A lot of your work is about discomfort and transformation. What makes that space worth returning to?
A: Discomfort and transformation are necessary for growth. Being aware of this helps me understand that they are part of a state of change, something inevitable, and ultimately for the better. I discuss change from a positive perspective, while acknowledging the pain that often comes with it. Whether it’s personal or collective, growth usually means facing something, recognizing the patterns we’re stuck in, and making the choice to move forward.
Q: In pieces like "Meta-Sapiens" or "Weirdo", identity feels in flux. How much of that comes from you — and how much from what’s around you?
A: I consider human beings to be in a constant state of change, deeply influenced by technology and global affairs. From my adolescence to my 30s, I’ve witnessed significant changes within myself and in my surroundings as well, moving from Puerto Rico to New York City, and now settling in Barcelona. Lately, my world has been in a state of exploration, diving into the subconscious and seeking to interpret it through a clear visual language.
Q: You stretch and distort the figure, but never lose its weight. How do you know when a body’s doing enough?
A: Traditional techniques from figure drawing and studying countless poses play a significant role in my work. They enable me to understand how far I can bend the rules before the figure no longer feels real within my narrative. My goal in doing this is to enhance the subject’s ability to communicate. Anatomy is a lifelong study, and imitating the human figure constantly challenges me not only to depict its visual aspects but also to capture what lies beneath. It’s a call for me to act on what is being expressed beyond the surface.
Q: "Only You" feels like it’s about pulling yourself back together. What role does control play in your work?
A: Great question. From personal experience, I believe that we only have control over our own thoughts and perspectives. Our situations are only what we define them to be. It takes incredible strength to pull yourself together from a dark place. In this realm, that’s when we’re most vulnerable, but also most powerful. We can choose to build a positive or negative reality from within. No one else can really do that for you, and that’s what makes it so important.
Q: Your colors hit hard — emotionally, not just visually. How do you know when a palette’s doing its job?
A: As I continue to develop my work, using color psychology has become a valuable tool to depict the narrative and translate moods. I typically start with a premeditated color palette, and during the painting process, I either adjust the colors slightly to highlight certain details of the subject or change them intuitively. My goal is to achieve visual balance, allowing the colors to "sing" together like a choir.
