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Whether he is borrowing from comic books or Caravaggio, movies or Mariano Fortuny Marsal, Chiaroscuro or street art… the breadth and depth of Daniel Sequeira’s influences span centuries and cultural genres. With references to past masters as well as contemporary culture, his paintings combine a realistic observation of the human state (both physical and emotional), with characters inhabiting theatrically imagined scenes.
Born in Surrey in 1983, Daniel has focussed completely on painting since 2014; having previously worked as a graphic designer before completing a year of academic drawing at the London Atelier of Representational Art.
‘Having grown up on a diet of comic books, skateboarding, hip hop and movies – this has undoubtably influenced the style in which I paint. Sometimes my paintings have an element of an unfinished sketch. This gives it a sense of vibrancy, dynamism and urgency – something I always try to capture.
My process will always start with some figure studies and then continue through to colour studies before progressing to oil. I tend to paint in alla prima (wet-on-wet) fashion in order to keep the subject as fresh looking as possible (although it rarely works out that smoothly).
Some of my paintings draw inspiration from military uniforms and motion. Other paintings represent attempts at simply capturing a character. In essence, I enjoy trying to decode painting something as complex as the figure whilst developing my own particular style. The challenge of depicting the figure is what excites me to paint. I have an image of what I would like to paint and am continually working towards and chasing that goal.
Being based in London, you only need to pop on a bus to get to see some of the most impressive paintings ever created. It means I’m spoiled for choice, but that acts as a constant inspiration and motivation. When I start a new painting, I have my own ideas and themes running through it. Sometimes, these can be in the form of a simple object or pose, but this can change as I paint it… I’ll find myself adding or removing items as I go along. I use this as a basis to create a narrative, but I also like to encourage some ambiguity, so that the viewer can make their own decisions on what they see. I have always been drawn to the figure and movement, whether it’s a dynamic pose in a comic book, or from physical activities such as skateboarding or dancing. Successfully capturing this in the paint is something I strive to achieve.
Sometimes I like there to be an element of humour in a painting: a line from a movie, something I hear someone say on the street or just imagined ideas can influence the work. For example, I overheard the bizarre end of someone’s story ‘He burst in and ran away with a side of gammon’. That sort of thing sticks with you. I still want to make that painting…’
Sequeira currenlty lives and works in London.

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