"La Corrida"

"La Corrida". Jaime Carmona. 2026. Acrylic on Canvas. 91 × 121 cm

La Corrida is part of a trilogy of paintings dedicated to the world of bullfighting. The work emerged from the artist’s direct observation of numerous afternoons at Madrid’s iconic Las Ventas bullring, as well as from an extensive photographic project developed during that period. Rather than documenting a specific event, however, the painting seeks to transform reality into a symbolic and subtly surreal vision.

In this composition, the bull and the human figure transcend their roles within a ritual to become universal symbols. They embody opposing yet complementary forces: nature and consciousness, instinct and will, vulnerability and power. Through their encounter, the work explores tensions that have shaped the human condition since the beginning of time.

Here, the bullfight becomes a metaphor for existence itself. Sacrifice and glory, life and death, triumph and defeat coexist within the same visual space, inseparable from one another. In this dramatic confrontation, Jaime Carmona finds an image that encapsulates some of the most fundamental questions of human existence: the perpetual struggle between everything and nothing, between what endures and what inevitably disappears.

Far from a literal representation, La Corrida offers a reflection on rituals, symbols, and the narratives societies create in order to understand their own fragility. The painting invites viewers into a realm where reality and myth converge, transforming a scene deeply rooted in Hispanic culture into a meditation on the universal human experience.