Maximiliano León, born in Mérida (Yucatán, Mexico), currently lives and works in Vienna and teaches at the University of Arts and Design Linz. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts (Vienna) under Daniel Richter and at E.N.P.E.G. La Esmeralda (Mexico City) under José Luís Sánchez Rull and Sofía Táboas. Leóns body of work focusses on the issues of the search of his own identity due to growing up in a multicultural environment - Mexico and Austria. Even his own name evokes the two cultural worlds that have significantly influenced him. In his search for his own identity between Yucatán/Mexico and Austria the artist explores the historical connections and relationships between the two nations in his work, with the Habsburg dynasty serving as an important link within this self-identification. Through the depiction of key figures such as Emperor Charles V and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, the artist reflects on imperial and colonial history and their impact on pop culture and consumer products, decoding their complex symbolism. By integrating self-portraits into collage-like imagery that juxtaposes seemingly unrelated personalities and symbols, León negotiates the conflict surrounding his own affiliation and creates new cultural connections and affinities. The reinterpretation of historical portraits through the comic-like distortion of facial features highlights the omnipresent tension between fiction and history, as well as the importance of humor as a coping mechanism. Using a thick impasto application of paint, the artist transfers sculptural stylistic devices to the medium of painting, which he then further develops in his sculptures.
In other paintings he focusses on the situation of the painter in his studio.
His work has been exhibited internationally, i.e. in New York, Mexico City, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Berlin and Vienna.