Art Madrid'26 – INTERVIEW WITH: SEÑORA D A.K.A LARA PADILLA

Sra. D, a.k.a Lara Padilla

The work of Sra. D, a.k.a Lara Padilla, encompasses disciplines such as painting, sculpture, dance, performance and fashion design. Her mostly figurative pieces draw attention to female power representation through the deformation of the body and the use of colour and textures. A vindication of gender exhibited through large hands as powerful instruments of battle or heavy feet, an image of the perseverance of women in their struggle. Sra D. understands art not as a silent showcase but as a path of political action and intervention. Her aesthetic is an ode to diversity, portraying all types of bodies to promote a look of equality and authenticity.

Her performances dialogue face to face with his pictorial and sculptural creation through the similarity between compositions and trajectories. The use of body painting underlines the plastic aspect of his choreographies, while in his urban actions, he insists on this reflection on the construction of identity conceived as belief. However, the female body is not a prison for Sra. D. In her latest creations she has expanded her visual discourse by exploring African and pre-Columbian art, cultural chapters of great social and conceptual significance such as Genesis or the interaction of bodies with new supports and textures.

Lara Padilla

Black Tetris Magnum, 2021

Mixed media on canvas

400 x 300cm

Interview:

What inspires you when creating?

It can be an emotion, an image or a word; inspiration can come from anywhere. It inspires me a lot to travel, take pictures, and know new cultures. I think my painting is very experiential and is almost like a diary.

What are you working on recently?

I'm still working on the "tetrix" series, which I think still has a universe to explore. And in parallel, I am working with various characters in different contexts and with everyday scenes telling other types of stories. I also continue to work with movement and dance.

Tell us about your creative process.

The first thing I address about my creative process is the background of the work. I create a very free colour atmosphere and work with pigments, collage and different techniques to create a fracture in the work. From there, I create the composition that I have in sketch or photography. The case of the "tretix" is ​​much more experimental; I create a character and what I do is play. I fit in all the others and conquer all the space.

Are you participating for the first time in the fair? What do you expect from Art Madrid?

About my participation, what I hope is to be able to show my work, which is what I am most passionate about, with great enthusiasm. Also, meet other artists, nourish me with all that creativity and enjoy the fair.

Lara Padilla

Purple Tetris, 2021

Mixed media on canvas

170 x 170cm

Currently, your artistic expression is not limited to a discipline or a medium. How is Sra. D (not Lara Padilla) projected in the next five years?

Sra. D is projected in the next five years as a more experienced and mature artist. What I really value is the work of every day; I think this is a life career. It's what I do, work every day in the studio. From here, I will always find myself, and I will not be the one to set limits for myself.

Your work is mainly figurative and representative. What do you find in figuration that doesn't give you abstraction?

My work is primarily figurative, although I also have some abstract pieces. But I am fascinated by the human body. I love to explore its limits. I create characters with impossible and disproportionate bodies, very expressive, proposing other models of being a man and a woman, and valuing diversity freedom. I also work with the body as supports on occasions, especially in street performance actions with performance and dance, and I use body painting to tell these stories.

Lara Padilla

Rainbow tangle, 2021

Mixed media on canvas

170 x 170cm

Sra.D, A.K.A Lara Padilla, participates in Art Madrid with the gallery from Barcelona 3 Punts Galeria, together with the artists Alejandro Monge, Gerard Mas, Kiko Miyares, Luis Feo, Rodrigo Romero, Santiago Picatoste and Ramon Surinyac.



The 22nd edition of Art Madrid opens its application period. From 3 to 7 March 2027, the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles will once again become the meeting point for national and international contemporary art. Galleries interested in taking part can submit their application until 20 October 2026.



Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.

The Art Madrid contemporary art fair

Art Madrid takes place each year as part of Madrid Art Week, the moment in the Spanish art calendar with the highest concentration of collectors, institutions and specialist press. With 22 years of history, the fair brings together national and international galleries with a programme focused on recently produced contemporary work.


Located at the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles, in the cultural heart of the city and steps away from the Triángulo del Arte and the Paseo del Prado, Art Madrid offers participating galleries a distinctive and recognisable setting within the Spanish art fair landscape.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Entrance.

Art Madrid'26 in figures

The previous edition closed with 35 galleries from 7 countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Taiwan, South Korea and Cuba), over 200 artists and around 20,000 visitors. 35% of the audience were new collectors, with an age range between 35 and 60 and a gender split of 55% women and 45% men.


The fair welcomed representatives from more than 30 foundations, museums and collections, including Fundación Mapfre, Fundación BBVA, Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Banco Santander, Fundación Bertelsmann, Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Fundación Carmen y Lluís Bassat, Fundación Studiolo, Fundació Lluís Coromina, IVAM, MARCO, CAAM, MEIAC and the Museo del Romanticismo. Delegations from Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Culture and ambassadors from several countries also attended.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Fundación Studiolo Acquisition Award.

PROGRAMMES

GALLERIES PROGRAMME

In each edition, Art Madrid brings together a carefully curated selection of around 35 national and international galleries with proposals focused on recently produced contemporary work.


ONE SHOT COLLECTORS PROGRAMME

Sponsored by One Shot Hotels and led by Ana Suárez Gisbert (art advisor specialising in international law and the art trade, art appraiser and court expert), the Collectors Programme connects new and experienced buyers with the participating works and galleries through a personalised advisory service throughout the five days of the fair.


For galleries, it operates as an additional channel for engaging active buyers, running in parallel to their own commercial activity.


PATRONAGE PROGRAMME

Art Madrid partners with institutions, collectors and private companies to directly support artists and galleries through awards and acquisitions. At the 2026 edition:


  • One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award (€1,000): Joost Vandebrug · KANT Gallery (Copenhagen–Palma)
  • Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award (€1,000): Iyán Castaño · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)
  • Colección Studiolo Acquisition: Roger Sanguino · DDR Art Gallery (Madrid)
  • Colección E2IN2 Acquisition: Albert Bonet · Inéditad Gallery (Barcelona)
  • Devesa Law Acquisition: Kim Han Ki · Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul)
  • Colección dn2 Acquisition: Iván Baizán · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)

Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Devesa Law Acquisition Award.


PARALLEL PROGRAMME AND ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

Throughout February, Art Madrid runs a Parallel Programme of series, talks and projects that extend the dialogue beyond the fair venue.


During the five days of the fair, alongside the galleries' exhibition programme, on-site activities include the Open Booth, the Performance Series and Readings: Curated Tours.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. View of Daniel Barrio's Open Booth.


Communication and reach

The Art Madrid'26 communications campaign reached 17 million people across online and offline media: print press, radio, exclusive catalogue, web, newsletter, social media and virtual 360° tour. Coverage included general and specialist national and international media, with appearances on RTVE, TeleMadrid, Onda Madrid, Onda Cero, COPE, El Mundo, ABC, Vogue, TimeOut and Elle, among others.


All participating galleries and artists feature on the Art Madrid website during and after the fair, with their own profile, images of works and contact details.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.


KEY INFORMATION:

Galleries interested in taking part in the 22nd edition of Art Madrid can submit their application through the online registration form available on the website until 20 October 2026.



For any queries, please write to info@art-madrid.com or call +34 91 535 87 11.