Born in 1978 in Santander, Gorka graduated from the Massana School of Arts and Design in Barcelona and continues his Master's degree at Goldsmiths College in London. Today he lives and works between London and Madrid.

The works of Mohamed are not without questioning the spectators as they are so troubled. From Diego Velázquez to Tex Avery, his world is cultivated, nourished, rich in meaning and references. Portraits, still lifes, crucifixions, foot drawings, landscapes with always flat horizons and dreamlike shapes, strange scenes with organic geometries, each painting opens many doors, suggests multiple themes.
His work is rooted in the history of painting in his country. Some paintings are reminiscent of the decadent portraits Goya has produced of the powerful of his time. Deformed, tortured, austere characters, collages and assemblies of shapes, we are often close to the Spanish baroque, but the one Gorka proposes is totally hallucinated. There are also obvious and beautiful references to the Magritte cow period. However,
it moves away from this surrealism licked by a faster, coarser touch, marks another filiation and the reflection of the friendship that binds it with Manuel Ocampo.

Born in Spain in 1978
Lives and works in London, UK
Spanish-Iraqi

EDUCATION

2006 - 2008
Master in Fine Arts, Goldsmiths College, London, UK

1997 - 2003
Graduate in Art and Design, Escola Massana, Barcelona, Spain

SOLO SHOWS

2019
The Mad Dog of the Desert, Dar El-Nimer for Art and Culture, Beirut, Lebanon

2018
I ARE, Galerie La Mauvaise Réputation, curated by Emilie Flory, Bordeaux, France

2016
Raise ravens and they will pluck out your eyes, Peter Von Kant Gallery, London, UK
Ha, Ha, Helena Parada & Gorka Mohamed, Choi & Lager Gallery, Cologne, Germany

2015
Termite Painting & The Sick Feet, Galeria Juan Silio, Santander, Spain

2014
Project Room at Arte Santander, Santander, Spain

2011
Laughing Backwards, Galerie Distrito4, Madrid, Spain

2010
Tautologies, Gallery b'one, Seul, Korea

2009
Toon Toon, Galeria Siboney, Santander, Spain
Cota Uno (Project Room), Arte Santander, Spain

2006
Puente de la Vision, Contemporary Museum of Santander, Spain
Ghosts and Premonitions, Galerie Luis Adelantado, Valencia

GROUP SHOWS (SELECTION)

2019
Pampre It Up !, La Mauvaise Réputation, Bordeaux, France
Masterpieces 2, Galerie Thomas Bernard / Cortex Athletico, Paris
Masterpieces, Galerie Thomas Bernard / Cortex Athletico, Paris
Abracadabra, Assembly House, Leeds, United Kingdom
Ranchito End of Residency, Hammana Arstist House, Hammana, Lebanon



2018
Poco Hecho / Medium Rare, Matedero, Madrid, Spain
A Monochrome Exhibition, Rocky Shore Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Back to the Hood, Thierry Lagalla, Vincent Gicquel, Charles Mason, Gorka Mohamed, Manuel Ocampo, in collaboration with Galerie Thomas Bernard / Cortex Athletico , Galerie La Mauvaise Réputation, Bordeaux
Boy Meets Girl, Danny Fox, Bernhard Martin, Dale Lewis and Gorka Mohamed, Choi & Lager Gallery, Cologne, Germany
Boy Meets Girls at Spinnerei, Choi & Lager Gallery, Leipzig, Germany
Yes, Sir/Ma'am! Right Away, Sir/Ma'am!, Manuel Ocampo & Collaborators, Tyller Rollings Gallery, NYC, USA

2017
The Untimely Dream, Contemporary Spanish Art in Dysfunctional Times, The Drawing Room Gallery, Manila, Philippines
Ride On, Abdul Vas & Gorka Mohamed, Galeria Proyecto H. Madrid, Spain
Creo que a Joseph Beuys no lo tengo en el facebook, Sala Atin Aya, Seville, Spain

2016
Puertos de Entrada, Festival Periferias, curated by Javier Aquilué, Huesca, Spain

2015
De la Mano, Centro Centro, Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain
Tener que Sentir, Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto, Coleccion Los Bragales, Gijon, Spain

2014
100 Painters of Tomorrow, One Art Space, Tribeca, New York, USA
Exeter Contemporary Open 2014, Exeter, UK
Rachel Howard, Boo Saville, Gorka Mohamed, George Ziffo, Kikko Giannuzzi

2013
Creekside open 2013, selected by Ceri Hand, A.P.T Gallery, London, UK
Meaning Making (curated by Monica Alvarez Caraega), touring show : New York, Washington, Brussels, Lisbon

2012
Enlaces + Seis Contextos, Museo Patio Herreriano, Valladolid, Spain
Salon Art Prize, Matt Roberts Arts Gallery, London, UK
Swollen Jungle, London, UK

2011
Creekside Open 2011 selected by Dexter Dalwood, A.P.T Gallery, London, UK
Young London, V22 Collection, London, UK
Wonderpia, Seoul Museum of Centemporary Art, Nanjo Studio Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Ultima Pintura (Collections from DA2 & Coca-Cola Foundation), DA2, Salamanca, Spain
Translate/Transcribe, curated by Ian Gonczarow, Central House of artist, Moscow, Russia

2010
Odd Place, Artside Gallery, Seoul, Korea
DA2, Acquisitions 2010 from Coca Cola Foundation, Salamanca, Spain
Bragales Collection, Palacia de Sastago, Zaragoza, Spain
Bright Lights London Painting, Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, Tilburg, Netherlands

2009
Ventriloquist, curated by Emma Dexter, Timothy Taylor Gallery, London, UK
Code of Being, Gallery with Space (Jill Mason, Eemyun Kang, Gorka Mohamed), Beijing, China
Modern Times, Vegas Gallery, London
Notes from the Underground, James Taylor Gallery, London, UK

2008
Enlaces+3, Patio Herreriano Museum, Valladolid, Spain
MFA Degree Show, Goldsmiths College, London, UK
Roma Contemporary Art Fair, Galeria Luis Adelantado, Madrid, Spain

2007
Planes Futuros, curated by Lorena and Maria del Corral, Sala Baluerte, Pamplona, Spain
Fall-in Theatre, V22 Basement, London, UK
Celeste Art Prize : T2 The Old Truman Brewery, London, Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh
Beuty & Sadness (Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Juan Uslé, Eduardo Gruber, Gorka Mohamed, Manu Arregui amount others), Galeria Torreao Nascente da Condoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal, Industrie-und Handelskammer, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Awards, scolarships and residencies

2018 / 2019
Ranchito Lebanon Residency, Hammana artist house, Lebanon, Matadero Madrid, Madrid, Spain

2014
Honourable Mention in the category of painting at 2013 Beers Contemporary Award for Emerging Art

2008
Winner of the Warden's Purchase Prize

2005
Winner of the Pancho Cossio contest, Santander, Spain
Selected in the contest Caja Madrid Generation

2004
Arteleku Grant, San Sebastien, Spain
Residency in Piramidon, Barcelona, Spain

2002
Winner of the Casimiro Sainz contest, Reinosa, Spain

2001
Grant of studies by Escola Massana, Barcelona, Spain
Selected at the Miquel Casablancas contest, Barcelona, Spain

1997
Winner of the Pancho Cossio contest, Santander, Spain

CATALOGUES AND PUBLICATIONS (SELECTION)

2018
El Ranchito Lebanon, Poco Hecho-Medium Rare

2014
100 Painters of Tomorrow, Thames & Hudson
Youg London 2011-2014, Catalogue by V22 Collection and Grey Tiger Books

2013
Antes de irse, 40 ideas sobre pintura, text by David Barro
Meaning Making

2011
Wonderpia, text by Lee Jinmyung
Cantabros en al Coleccion Norte, text by Juan Manuel Bonet

2010
Tautologies, text by Raul Zamudio

2009
Turpsbanana issue n°6, review by Sarah Douglas
Toon Toon, text by Kristian Leahy
Silencio

2007
Planes Futuros, text by Cedar Lewisohn
Celecte Art Prize
Beauty and Sadness by Monica Alvarez Careaga

2006
Emerging Art in Spain by Manuela Villa
Puente de la Vision, text by Isabel Portilla
D[x]i Magazine, issue 21

2004
Street Logos by Tristan Manco

2001
Alter Ego Magazine n°021

LECTURES

2018
Termite Painting, University of Art History, Malaga, Spain

2017
Proyecto Chimenea, La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain

2007
La cultura alternativa como alternativa cultural, University of Cantabria, Spain

COLLECTIONS

Coleccion Solo, Madrid, Spain
Patio Herreriano, Museum of Spanish Contemporary Art, Valladolid, Spain
Coleccion Pilar Citoler, Spain
Bank Caja Madrid, Spain
Reinosa Ayuntamiento, Reisona, Spain
Culture Department of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Fundacion Coca-Cola, Madrid, Spain
Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK
Coleccion Norte, Santander, Spain
Coleccion Olor Visual, Spain
Fundacion Centenara, Spain
Coleccion Los Bragales, Spain