Eleazar Sanchez
An intuitive and visionary artist, Eleazar Sánchez explores the transfiguration of the material and spiritual through painting. His expression merges the sacred, surreal, and abstract — reflecting episodes of life that invite viewers to find themselves within his imagery.
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Trained in classical painting at the Centro Nacional de Artes in El Salvador, Eleazar’s path led him through Europe, where exposure to cultural symbolism and social contrast shaped his distinctive style. In Italy, he deepened his artistic language, blending technique and emotion in works that speak to faith, identity, and transformation.
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In recognition of his contributions to Salvadoran culture, he received an Honorary Degree in Painting from the Accademia Internazionale Città di Roma and the Distinction of Honor from El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His most celebrated commission, the altar piece for the Basilica di Santo Stefano Maggiore in Milan — dedicated to Saint Óscar Romero — was presented to Pope Francis and is now part of the Vatican’s private collection.
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Eleazar’s work has been exhibited across Italy, France, Germany, and Georgia, and appears in both public and private collections throughout Europe. He continues to evolve his craft through projects that bridge painting, spirituality, and human emotion. Now based in New York, Eleazar pursues new artistic dialogues that explore the meeting point between devotion and dream.
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Born in El Salvador, Eleazar Sánchez blends classical training with an instinct for experimentation, creating paintings that move between the sacred and the surreal. A graduate of the Centro Nacional de Artes (1997), his early explorations across Europe deepened his engagement with cultural and social symbolism, giving shape to the dreamlike and spiritual elements that define his work.
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In 2002, Eleazar settled in Italy, where he began to merge painting with theater and scenography. His expressive evolution earned him an Honorary Degree in Painting from the Accademia Internazionale Città di Roma, organized in collaboration with the Salvadoran Embassy and the Istituto Italo-Latinoamericano, recognizing his contribution to Salvadoran culture abroad.
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Throughout his career, Eleazar’s surrealistic and sacred compositions have been celebrated for their emotional depth and symbolism. His most notable commission, the altar piece for the Basilica di Santo Stefano Maggiore in Milan (2015), was dedicated to Saint Óscar Romero and later presented to Pope Francis, becoming part of the Vatican’s private collection.
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His work has been exhibited across Italy, France, Germany, and Georgia, and is held in both public and private collections throughout Europe. Beyond traditional painting, Eleazar has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects that unite art, cuisine, and culture, always guided by an unrelenting curiosity for the human condition.
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Now based in New York, Eleazar continues to expand his artistic research — his canvases a convergence of faith, identity, and dreamlike reflection.
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“Through painting, I transform what I see into what I feel.”
— Eleazar Sánchez
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