David Mateo | Hyperrealist Artist in Orihuela

As a hyperrealist artist based in the historic city of Orihuela, my life has always revolved around the pursuit of absolute detail through my charcoal drawings and graphite on a blank sheet of paper. What began as childhood curiosity in the streets of my homeland transformed over the years into a technical obsession, capturing in each original painting an essence that goes beyond a simple image.

David Mateo: Hyperrealist Artist in Orihuela (Alicante)

The struggle for authenticity

I founded my own online art gallery with a clear mission: to rebel against mass-produced generic art. In a world saturated with digital filters and instant results, I choose the deliberate slowness of manual work. My goal is for each of my Original Artworks that reaches your hands to be not only visually stunning but also to connect with you on a personal level. I want you to feel the weight of infinite patience and the passion that resides in every pore of my pieces.

My creative process takes place entirely in my studio in Orihuela, a city with an immense cultural heritage that inspires the atmosphere and mysticism of each of my strokes.

The authentic process of a hyperrealist charcoal and graphite artist

No shortcuts: A 100% analog process

There are no algorithms here. Every design you see is born from a purely analog process, executed stroke by stroke with the dedication that only an expert in gothic and hyperrealist art can offer. I consciously reject AI creation to guarantee irreplaceable authenticity, the same authenticity I apply when creating personalized Custom Portraits. Once the drawing is finished after days or weeks of work in my Orihuela studio, I personally supervise its adaptation to our Decorative Prints for walls. These art prints maintain museum quality, ensuring that you receive a piece created especially for you.

Much more than decorative paintings: A fragment of my world

My greatest satisfaction is knowing that one of my wild animals presides over your living room or that my art accompanies you in your Urban Fashion. By acquiring one of my artworks, you are not only choosing decorative paintings for your home, you are supporting an independent creator and carrying a small part of my artistic vision with you. Thank you for valuing art made with calm, with hands and with soul. 

✨ I invite you to explore my Art Store and find the piece that will transform your style and your space.

Milestones and International Recognition

My work has been recognized in high-level international competitions, validating my dedication to analog hyperrealism. Notably, I was a finalist in the prestigious Tartget Prize 2025, where my original artwork "Batallarte" was selected from over 1,900 artists worldwide to be part of the physical exhibition of selected artists held at the historic Ateneo de Madrid.

In 2026, I will participate again in the Tartget Prize, being highlighted among the first entries of the call, consolidating my presence in this important international competition. You can see the official publication here.

 Likewise, my career has crossed borders thanks to the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona. My original work "Reflections" had the honor of being selected for exhibition at the museum's headquarters in Barcelona and subsequently traveled to be exhibited internationally at the First Street Gallery in New York, a milestone that consolidates my hyperrealist drawing technique in the international art circuit.

*Exhibition certificate at MEAM and New York | David Mateo

These recognitions are joined by the First Prize obtained in the competition organized by the Acuña Espacio de Arte gallery in Asturias, a distinction that endorses the technical quality and the soul I imbue in each of my charcoal drawings and graphite works. Here is the Instagram post announcing the winner.

*First prize art competition Asturias | David Mateo

Museum Quality: Materials and Tools

To achieve this level of extreme realism, I only work with tools that guarantee the longevity of the artwork. My drawings come to life on high-end Fabriano 4L paper and are sculpted with surgical precision using Faber-Castell graphite pencils and Conté à Paris charcoal pencils, materials chosen for their ability to capture the deepest blacks.

Let's connect in the Studio: The daily life of a hyperrealist artist

You can follow my evolution and detailed technical processes on my YouTube channel and connect with me professionally on My LinkedIn profile.

If you want to join me in the daily life of my studio, see short clips of my processes and discover my artworks before anyone else, I look forward to seeing you in my community on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest.

Your Own Gallery: Art that tells your Story

Thank you for stopping to learn what lies behind each stroke. Art only makes sense when it finds a gaze that connects with it, and my greatest reward is for one of my works to become part of your story.

I invite you to browse My Favorite Artworks to find that piece that will transform your space, or to contact me if you are looking to create something truly unique through a Custom Portrait.

See you on the other side of the paper.