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EDGAR PLANS

SPANISH, BORN 1977

Edgar Plans places his mouse-eared, big-eyed cartoon characters against backdrops adorned with doodles and scrawl. These apparently spontaneous marks recall the canvases of Jean-Michel Basquiat or Cy Twombly. He names graffiti, street art, comic books, illustrations, and animated films as major influences.

Yet it’s really his characters, which Plans describes as “Hero Animals,” which have helped the artist win popularity and a number of gallery shows around Spain. Despite the vibrant color palette and cartoon-indebted aesthetics, his paintings tackle serious subject matter: With his animal heroes, he intends to criticize gender violence, racism, and envy.