Ima Montoya

1963, Bilbao
Lives and works in Barcellona

Ima Montoya is an artist who, before having lived in many parts of the world (Japan, Hungary, Mexico, England) was born in Spain, in the city of Bilbao. She graduated in fine arts at the University of Pais Vasco.
The presence of the bull in the crowd recalls the Plazas de Toros, the fiestas of San Fermín, the streets of Pamplona and the wild and chaste ritual of putting one's life at stake by fleeing the mad and desperate ferocity of the bull; a ferocity that arises from his fear of finding himself alone and scattered, without protection, charged only with brute force that becomes manipulated instinct, abandoned and thrown into the very center of the crowd amidst screams, sweat, unknown words, human fear, the furious and liberating laughter.
Over the years, the artist's point of view has moved more and more to a high position to show us the mystery of the crowd and its constant movement, like a tide on the beaches, between the quiet sensations of the absence of personal anxieties, of envies and small victories that ripple the sea of the days of each of us with identical waves, on one side and on the other the mystery of a new thinking head, that of the crowd precisely, which escapes control and, although apparently free , can instead be easy to manipulate, full of brute force managed with desperation and illogicality.

SELECTED SOLO SHOW
2025
La Sombra de Cervantes, Istituto Cervantes, Algiers

2024
Take me to the river - Raffaella De Chirico contemporary art,
Danontzat zara zu geuria - Athletic Club Museoa, Bilbao

2023
Poemas de Agua - Istituto Cervantes, Tunisi

2021
More Than This - Raffaella De Chirico contemporary art, Turin

2020
Nec Metus. Like a Rolling Stone - Raffaella De Chirico
contemporary art, online

2017
Synaesthesia - Newport Art Museum, Newport (USA)
Dualidades - Museo Medicina UNAM, Mexico City, Quijote

2016
La locura de Vivir - Palacio de Autonomia, Mexico City
Transitos - Galeria Espacio y Lugar, Mexico City

2013
Luces y Sombras - Istituto Cervantes, Budapest - Bucharest

2012
Meeting at the crossroads - Veresov Gallery, Mosca

2008
Windows to Europe - EU, Berlaymont Building, Bruxelles
Ya ne Magu Inache - MMOMA, Moscow

2007
Transiciones - Istituto Cervantes, Moscow,

2002
Kokoro - Museo de Asia, Havana (Cuba)

2001
Basho - Ginza Hasegawa Gallery, Tokyo

SELECTED GROUP-SHOW AND ART FAIRS

Roma Arte in Nuvola, Raffaella De Chirico contemporary art,
2024 / 2025

Crossing Water, Cole art center, Texas, 2024

ARTVERONA, Verona, 2023 / 2024 / 2025

SW AB BARCELONA Art Fair, Barcellona, 2023 / 2024

YICCA, International Contest of Contemporary Art, Milan 2022

ARTVERONA, Raffaella De Chirico contemporary art, Verona,
2021

London Art Biennale, London, 2021

Arte Laguna Prize, Venice, 2019 Made in Spain, Collective MAD,

Antequera 2016

Zona MACO, Raffaella De Chirico contemporary art, Mexico
city, 2017

Imago Mundi Collection, Cini Foundation, Venice, 2015

Made in Spain, CAC Malaga, Luciano Benetton collection,

Malaga, 2015

PINTA Modern Show, Hache Gallery, New York, 2013

International ART Market BUDAPEST, Brody House Gallery,

Budapest, 2012

Collective, Veresov Gallery, Moscow, 2012

Top 16 Saatchi Online competition, London, 2011

Perehod, Winzavod Art Center, Moscow, 2009

The Chase Contemporary exhibition, Royal College of Art,

London, 2003

Exhibition Asian Modern Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Tokyo 2001