Cesar Sanchez Huertas

César Sánchez Huertas is a Spanish-born, Melbourne-based painter working with figurative imagery and symbolic narrative.

His practice is grounded in a realist approach, using carefully constructed scenes where objects, light, and composition are arranged with precision, while subtle shifts and distortions introduce a slightly dislocated, almost surreal quality. Through this balance, his work explores personal processes of change, reflecting on moments of tension between constructed identity and a more intuitive sense of self. After developing a career in science, he gradually returned to painting as a central part of his life, a shift that continues to inform his approach through observation, structure and experimentation. His first solo exhibition, AuTOYbiography (2026), was presented at Red Gallery.

Education

Painting has been part of Cesar’s life since childhood. Growing up, he spent much of his time drawing imagined stories inspired by manga and comics, while also painting portraits of friends and family. Although he later pursued a career in science, this path fostered a deep curiosity about how things work and an experimental mindset shaped by observation and trial and error. In 2018, he moved to Australia to continue developing his scientific career.

In 2022, Cesar reached a turning point and decided to dedicate more time to painting after realising how much he had set it aside while focusing on his professional life. He began sharing illustrations online, which soon led to collaborations on illustrated children’s books, including My Mummy Loves Fudge (2023), and Missy Finds the Magic Within (to be published in 2026).

In 2023, he joined the Victorian Artists Society in Melbourne, where he developed a strong interest in oil painting and tonal realism. His work has since been presented in several exhibitions, and one of his paintings, The Wish, received the People’s Choice Award at the VAS 9x5 Exhibition in 2024.

His first solo exhibition, AuTOYbiography, marks an important moment in his artistic journey, bringing together a body of work that reflects a period of personal reflection and creative re-engagement.