Busy cities seem unruly to some, but for Peruvian artist Cohaila, a bustling city is inspiring.

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Eugenio was born near the city of Tacna, Peru, on a modest farm. From an early age the young artist showed proficiency in creating art. In school, his teachers often requested that Eugenio draw, on site, a scene to commemorate their class trips.

 

Eugenio’s mother recognized her son’s passion for art and sent him away to study at secondary school. For five years, the young Eugenio and his older sister lived on their own in a small apartment in Tacna, with their mother visiting every week.

 

In high school, Eugenio excelled in his art courses. A year before graduating, he won an art competition with a drawing of the main character from a classic Peruvian tale.

Eugenio enrolled at the Beaux-Arts Superior School of Tacna, where after five years he graduated with the second-highest grade in his class. It was here where Eugenio first experimented with oil painting techniques.

 

In 1994, Eugenio broadened his education with post-graduate studies in painting at the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes del Peru in Lima.

 

Eugenio elects to paint people as blurred subjects who almost blend into the scenes around them. This stylistic choice, executed through his unique brush style, shows the harmony of millions of people living and working in the same space.

 

Eugenio’s style shares similarities to the work of Impressionist Claude Monet, but the artist leaves his own mark with his distinct color palette of fiery oranges and golden yellows.

Eugenio’s mastery of contrast and movement in his paintings bring them to life, as if the viewer could step into the painting and explore the cities for themselves. Eugenio’s favorite city to portray is New York City, a metropolis that captivates the artist due to its constant activity.