Portraits
built
by hand. 23 years of craft, Animal Kinhood since 2012.
I work from Barcelona building portraits — of people who exist and beings I imagine. Each image begins with a licensed real photograph, onto which I add clothing, illustration layers and manual adjustments until the character holds your gaze. It is not a fast process. Animal Kinhood, my ongoing series since 2012, now gathers around five hundred characters. Nineteen of them are released as signed fine art editions.
The studio works asynchronously. No calls, no visits, no openings. It is not a temporary mode: it is the form.
Photomontage,
digital collage
and manual layers.
Each portrait begins with a licensed real animal image. On top of it I build the character through photomontage and digital collage: I select, cut, assemble. Then come the manual illustration and colour layers, which give the character its weight, expression and presence.
The wardrobe is not decoration. It is the technical mechanism that allows building a convincing psychological portrait of someone who has no human face.
Fine art editions are produced on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth, printed by WhiteWall in Frechen. Numbered editions from the start.
- PhaseNo. 01
Source photograph
Licensed real animal image. Framing, gesture, gaze. The raw material.
- PhaseNo. 02
Photomontage and collage
I select, cut, assemble. Composition of the human figure over the animal.
- PhaseNo. 03
Manual layers
Illustration and colour over the base. Weight, expression, presence. Here the character holds the gaze.
- PhaseNo. 04
Fine art production
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth at WhiteWall, Frechen. Hand-signed COA + blockchain verification.
Just three people.
Isabelle handles licences and editorial project coordination. Mariona has managed intellectual property from the beginning, when this was still called Zoo Portraits. I direct the artistic work and make decisions about the editions.
- 01
Yago Partal
Artist · direction
Designs, produces and decides. Works from Barcelona. Replies by email.
Write → - 02
Isabelle Bazsó
Co-management · licences
Manages editorial and product collaborations. Point of contact for commercial proposals.
Proposals → - 03
Mariona Sardà
IP lawyer · external
Protecting the work since 2013. Licensing agreements, international registrations.
Legal matters →
Drop 01 opens
on 1 July.
Otto, the arctic fox, is the first Animal Kinhood fine art edition. In October comes Jeong. In January 2027, the third — being voted on now by followers. Small numbered runs, hand-signed COA. Each drop closes when it sells out.
-
Drop 01 · Otto Drop 01Opening soonOtto.
Vulpes lagopus · arctic fox
First Animal Kinhood fine art edition. Four parallel print runs.
1 jul 2026— days
-
Drop 02 · Jeong Drop 02AnnouncedJeong.
Panthera p. orientalis · Amur leopard
Second portrait of the new era. Production closed.
oct 2026~4 months
- ?open voteDrop 03Drop 03In vote
To be decided.
family chooses · 19 candidates
Followers are voting now. The result is announced in December.
jan 2027~7 months
All in writing.
No urgency.
The studio does not take calls or visits. All communication is written and gets a response, though not immediate. If you have a specific proposal, use the matching channel.
- 01
Buy an edition
Editions are available during each drop window. Outside that window, there is no active waiting list.
→ - 02
Licensing proposals
Publications, products, editorial collaborations. Isabelle handles these conversations.
→ - 03
Press & institutions
Press material available. Email reply in 3 – 5 working days.
→ - 04
Collectors · queries
For questions about previous editions, authenticity, or the history of the work.
→
No noise
between drops.
When a drop opens, I send a notice. When there is something worth saying about the work, also. Nothing more. If that sounds right to you, sign up.