Pennsylvania based artist Dorian Vallejo paints the realm of our subconscious as a dreamworld of floating figures, forests and natural motifs. Though his subject matter and style has evolved and shifted between Hyperealism and Surrealism, one element remains the same and that is his interest in feminine beauty, and the beauty of life as a whole. “Most of my work centers around an interest in psychology, philosophy and how we process ideas,” the artist explained in an email to Hi-Fructose. “I’m also interested in pop culture, the modern existence, and what I see as the poetry of life. I alter my approach depending on how I’m engaging ideas.” Among his most striking series depicts beautiful female figures floating in an embryonic bubble of flowing fabric. Oil paintings like “Bubble” and “Sunlight Nude” are rendered in cool blue tones and hot yellows and oranges as a reflection of the different aspects our persona. In more recent works, like “Reflections” and “Bodymind”, Vallejo experiments with less dreamy and more abstract settings, where his subjects’ “fractured” surroundings are intended to represent the concept of contemplation, and how our brain processes information. Take a look at more works from Dorian Vallejo below, with his comments about each piece and series.
“The beautifully simple but complicated structure of a soap bubble, it’s colors sliding against each other, creating intense abstract patterns and the fragility of its existence, led me to draw a comparison, to our physical and mental constructs. This is similar to the birth of new ideas, constantly reshaping and redefining our concept of truth, reality, and self.”
“I also use a dreamworld of floating figures, forests, and natural motifs to suggest the realm of the unconscious and the duality of existence.”
“A part of my intention is toward something symbolic that hints at streams of conscious awareness as we trail off into sleep.”
“In some ways this painting is the precursor to the work I do now. Shown here are special effects, connection to nature and feminine beauty which are elements I still enjoy exploring.”
“A visual exploration on the nature of self reflection; silent but visually cacophonous. The fractured and transparent nature of internal processing.”
“A meditation on the nature of constructed identity and it’s overlapping influences, from tabula rasa to a notion of realized persona.”
“This painting continues along the theme of my previous maze paintings and drawings, engaging and exploring the idea that the labyrinthian recesses of our depths, are of our own making. Likewise, the thread, fragile and seemingly insignificant, is our guide in and out of the passageways.”
“This painting stems from the idea that the complications and challenges we have in life are of our own creation – the labyrinth is one of our own making. The thread, seemingly fragile, is also ours – simultaneously our way in and out.”
With the rise of technology, experiencing the natural world in modern society has become almost completely irrelevant. New Jersey based painter 
Figurative painter 
San Francisco based artist