Julian Schnabel

He was born in New York, but spent his adolescence in Texas. He studied fine art at the University of Houston and, upon graduation, returned to the Big Apple to participate in the Whitney Museum's Independent Study Program. In 1978, he undertook a trip to Europe and, in Barcelona, he was especially captivated by the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, an inspiration that he transferred to his work through colors, textures and forms. A year later, he had his first solo exhibition of paintings at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York, marking the beginning of a long and eclectic career in which film, painting and photography are intertwined under the concept of neo-expressionism. In the cinematographic field, his debut feature film was Basquiat, in honor and memory of his colleague, with figures such as David Bowie, Gary Oldman and a young Jeffrey Wright. The film was part of the official selection of the Venice Film Festival in 1996; this was his first such event, though not his last. He continued to reap success and recognition, including the Palme d'Or for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe in the same category for his work on The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Nació en Nueva York, pero pasó su adolescencia en Texas. Estudió Bellas Artes en la Universidad de Houston y, al finalizar, regresó a la Gran Manzana para participar en el Programa de Estudio Independiente del Museo Whitney.