“My practice is grounded in neo-essentialism: a subtractive, intentional approach that removes excess without abandoning story, emotion, or anatomy. Through my work,  I construct allegorical portraits that reflect the emotional tensions of modern life.”

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— Ariel Vargassal

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In a time when art is often saturated with detail, ideology, and sensory overload, my painting practice embraces what I call a neo-essentialist style, a subtractive method that seeks clarity through omission. Unlike the philosophical tradition of essentialism, which aims to identify intrinsic truths or immutable characteristics, my approach to essentialism is rooted in a question of necessity: what is the minimum visual language required to communicate complex emotional and narrative content?