Jose Bacarreza (born 5 July 1982, Santiago) is a contemporary Chilean painter. Bacarreza works and lives in Perth, Australia. He is known for his large-scale oil paintings, often portraying a dramatic intertwinement of the human psyche with the natural world. Bacarreza's works deftly invite the viewer to experience the simultaneous existence of beauty and death, happiness and grief, and vulnerability and strength. Bacarreza juxtaposes imaginary limits of the size of the Universe and one’s mind with the physical limitations of the size of the canvas. Through symbolism, color, texture, and composition he invokes mystery, nostalgia, dreams, and fantasy, enticing the viewer to step in and experience a personal journey. 

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"Bacarreza brings a passion and enthusiasm to his art that is evident in his canvases. His exceptional story-telling ability creates an experience of constant discovery as more and more is revealed to the viewer's discerning eye. It is rare we see such a talent in both composition and skillset.”

 

Brooke Anne Farrell, Blue Lizard Gallery

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In the year 2022  he exhibit on the Western Australian Maritime Museum as part of Dr. Lesa Melnyczuk’s lecture and film presentation on the Ukrainian genocide. Dr. Melnyczuk featured Bacarreza as a speaker about his painting, “War and Hope” (2022). Currently, Bacarreza continues to exhibit in museums as Puri Lukisan and Taman Dedari in Bali where he lives at the moment (2024), preparing his next show back to Australia the same year.