el pez

From an appearance in the Banksy's Exit Through the
Gift Shop
to major brand collaborations, El Pez's bright, vibrant aesthetic shines through.

bio

Jose Sabate, more commonly known as El Pez (b. 1976, Barcelona, Spain), draws on graffiti and Pop Art for inspiration, harnessing his background as a street artist to create a body of work that is instantly recognizable. His grinning fish motif is ubiquitous in his work, appearing in a myriad of colors and patterns, yet always with the signature smile. El Pez’s own unofficial slogan is “smiling since 1999,” in reference to the year he began painting in the streets of Barcelona. El Pez, which translates to “fish,” is an alter-ego that inspires and spreads positivity.

Currently, the artist is based out of Bogota, Colombia, where he finds inspiration in the country’s folklore, nature, and people. In the past few years, El Pez has exhibited in Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bogota, and Dubai. He has also stayed true to his roots as a street artist, spending time out of the studio tagging the streets and painting murals across the world. The artist had a cameo in the Banksy documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop, and he has worked with major brands such as Adidas, Toyota, and Reebok. El Pez has participated in numerous group shows, been the subject of several solo shows since 2018, and since 2021 has participated in art fairs across the United States.

EL PEZ

MY STAR IS OUT, 2020

Iron laser cut sculpture

The character of El Pez ("fish" for Spanish), comes from the experimentation and aims to make something constructive in his city walls. This alter ego, an always smiling fish, is present in all of his works, always colorful and with a heavy load of positivism. A journey full of joy that goes from classic graffiti to experimental pop art.

My [smiling fish] character is born from experimentation, comics, skapunk, freedom, LSD, marijuana; a character who smiles because he laughs at anti-graffiti laws...He is free and happy because he does what he wants.

El pez

cv

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023
El Pez, "SMILE", 2B Art Gallery

2022
El Pez & Stinkfish, 2B Art Gallery

2021
El Pez Flash Show, 2B Art Gallery

2019
20 Years Smiling With Pez, StolenSpace Gallery

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023
Online Exclusive, End to End Gallery

2022
All Treats, No Tricks!, End to End Gallery

Editions Within Reach, Gallery 19

Graffiti and Urban Art II, Rodríguez

Digital and Physical Graffiti, Waltham Fine Art

ART FAIRS

2022
End to End Gallery at Artexpo Dallas 2022, End to End Gallery

End to End Gallery at Art San Diego 2022, End to End Gallery

End to End Gallery at Artexpo | New York 2022, End to End Gallery

2021
End to End Gallery at Red Dot Miami and Spectrum Miami 2021, End to End Gallery