Carmen Carbonell's works are far more than mere paintings: they are windows into the heart of an artist in constant pursuit of beauty and meaning

CHRONOLOGY

1994.  Birth of Carmen Carbonell in Badajoz, Extremadura.

2001.  Creates her first oil painting at the early age of 7 years old.

2010.  Begins to develop her own style autodidactically.

2012.  She excels academically, receiving honors in high school for her academic excellence.

2013.  She starts combining painting and photography. Holds her first solo exhibition.

2014.     She starts working with textures.

2016.  She receives the award for the best academic record in Engineering and decides to move to Madrid to pursue a Master's degree in Engineering and Water Treatment, thus broadening her horizons.

2017.  She begins to work on her relief technique.

2018.  She moves to Blanes Catalonia, where she experiments with abstract photography.

2019.  She moves to Torrevieja Alicante, to work in Europe's largest desalination plant. She creates a series of photographs using dynamic and ephemeral paintings, which are later destroyed.

2020.  She relocates to Garrucha, Almería. She combines her technique with dripping.

2021.  She settles in Paris, France, where she perfects her technique and starts participating in renowned collective exhibitions and fairs.

2025.  Exhibits at the Salon d’Automne in Paris, held at the Place de la Concorde, as well as in Art Capital at the Grand Palais, two of the most historically significant art fairs in the European art scene.

INTRODUCTION

Carmen Carbonell, self-taught artist and photographer, as well as a desalination engineer, has created a unique body of work that fuses her passion for art with her experience in the world of engineering.

Since childhood, art has been her means of expression, exploring a wide range of techniques and materials.

Over the years, she has developed her own style, marked by a vibrant use of color and the ability to capture the essence of nature. The COLORS PARADISE series is an example of this stimulating and energetic approach, conveying joy and vitality through 53 works painted from the subconscious.

In addition to her dedication to art, she has had a successful career as a desalination engineer, working in various plants in Spain and on international projects. This experience has directly influenced her work, as seen in the MINE OF TEXTURES series, where she uses salts, crystals, and filtration media inspired by her work to create unique textures in her photographs.

In her constant pursuit of creative freedom, she immerses the viewer in her paintings through macro photography, just as she immerses herself in her own inner world through painting. The  DEPTHS series, inspired by the vastness of seas and oceans, combines visual beauty with a deep sense of introspection.

With a trajectory that spans from her first artistic experiments in childhood to her recent residence in Paris, Carmen continues to captivate audiences around the world with her unique art.

2001. Her first painting, the sea

In 2001, the sea became the canvas on which she painted her first picture. Since childhood, art has been a constant presence, with painting serving as a refuge for her creative soul.

Painting became her deepest passion, a way to explore the world around her and to shape her boldest dreams.

Accompanied by her family, she embarked on journeys that fueled her thirst for knowledge and adventure. In each place and in every landscape, she found a new source of inspiration.

From still lifes to portraits, from flowers to everyday landscapes, she enthusiastically explored a wide variety of techniques and materials, always seeking new ways to express her vision of the world.

2010. Started her own style

The year 2010 marked the beginning of a new stage, in which her artistic style began to flourish in a self-taught manner. The works of this period, full of contagious energy, convey joy and vitality. Especially noteworthy is the  COLORS PARADISE series, composed of 53 pieces, which transports the viewer to a universe of vibrant colors and palpable emotions.

Since adolescence, her interest in philosophy led her to explore transcendental themes and to seek answers to the questions that troubled her. This constant search for knowledge and self-knowledge is reflected in her work, where reflection and introspection intertwine in a harmony of forms and colors.

The insatiable need to create drives an unlimited expression of feelings, from the subtlest sensations to the most intense emotions. Each work thus becomes a testimony of a deep desire to communicate, to germinate thoughts, and to give shape to the most intimate dreams.

2012-2016. Engineering & Art

Throughout her academic journey, she received numerous recognitions, including the prestigious Award for Best Academic Record in the Engineering Degree in 2016. However, it was in that same year when her passion for painting took a transcendental turn with the creation of ONIRIC FREEDOM.

ONIRIC FREEDOM is not only a work of art, but a gateway to a world of freedom. In this creation, the very essence of dreams is captured, inviting the viewer to explore the deepest corners of the subconscious.

2016-2017. Art & Water

Moving to Madrid in search of new challenges, she immersed herself in the exciting world of engineering at the prestigious EOI Business School. There, she completed her Master’s in Water Engineering and Management, broadening her horizons and acquiring knowledge that would mark a before and after in her career.

The artist explores new forms of expression through art, giving rise to the UNIVERSE series.

In UNIVERSE, she combines canvas textures to create relief works that invite the viewer to immerse themselves in a universe of light and color.

2017-2018. Art & desalination on the Costa Brava

After completing her academic training, she took her first steps in the professional world at a multinational desalination company. It was in the picturesque town of Blanes, known as the “Gateway to the Costa Brava,” where this exciting stage of her life began.

During this period, she not only delved deeper into texture work but also brought to life her first texture book, a large-format replicable sample.

In addition, she ventured even further into the fascinating world of abstract photography, giving her own light to the works RED & BLUE DIAMOND.

2018-2019. Art & desalination on the Costa Blanca 

The artist moved to live on the Costa Blanca, in the charming city of Torrevieja, in the province of Alicante, Spain, where she worked at the largest desalination plant in Europe.

In this paradise by the sea, she experimented with marine elements, merging pictorial art with dynamic photography to create works that captivate the senses.

Using a variety of supports, from sheets to papers, she brought the MINE OF TEXTURES series to life—a series of photography based on movable and ephemeral painting works that were later destroyed. To create textures, she used salts, crystals, and filtration media such as sand or anthracite, used in seawater desalination.

2019-2021. Art & desalination in Almería 

Carmen moves to Garrucha, a dreamy corner in the eastern part of the Levante Almeriense region, Spain, where she begins working at an industrial production multinational.

In this chapter of her life, she finds inspiration in linen canvases, expressing her passion for painting in a moment of global uncertainty. In the midst of the pandemic, the EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS is born.

This collection is an intimate exploration of the invisible bonds that connect us as human beings and invites the viewer to connect with their own inner world.

2021-2022. Art & desalination in Paris 

The artist moved to Paris, the City of Light, to embark on the world’s largest LNG project.

She began a new chapter in her professional life by joining a major French multinational in water treatment at the end of 2022. It was during this period of exploration and discovery that the DEPTHS series emerged, capturing the emotional and visual richness of marine landscapes.

In 2025, she participated in the Salon d’Automne in Paris, held at the Place de la Concorde, as well as in Art Capital at the Grand Palais, two of the most historically significant art fairs in the European art scene.

EXHIBITIONS

International Art Capital Salon 2026 at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. // February 2026.

Le Salon d’Automne 2025 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. // October–November 2025.

Solo exhibition. Fragments d’essences, Salon Coupe n’Shop, Arles, France. // May–June 2025.

Spring Salon 2025 at Galerie Thuillier, Le Marais, Paris, France. // April 2025.

International Art Capital Salon 2025 at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. // February 2025.

Exhibition at Gaudí Gallery in Madrid, Spain. // February 2024.

Exhibition at the International Contemporary Art Fair Art3F, Paris, France. // January 2024.

Exhibition De l'abstrait au figuratif in La Galerie Libre Est L'Art, Paris, France. // October 2023.

Exhibition Bleu & Couleurs froides in La Galerie Libre Est L'Art, Paris, France. // September 2023.

Collective Exhibition of Artists from the Old Town of Badajoz, Spain. // March 2016.

Solo exhibition. NH Gran Hotel Casino de Extremadura, Spain. // January-May 2015.

The White Night Badajoz 2014, Spain. // September 2014.

Solo exhibition. NH Gran Hotel Casino de Extremadura, Spain. // June-September 2014.

Solo exhibition. Faculty of Education, University of Extremadura, Spain. // October 2013.

Solo exhibition. Official Association of Technical Architects of Badajoz, Spain. // April 2013.