The Spanish-Belgian artist Emilio López-Menchero (b. 1960, Mol) explores the notion of identity and the artist’s place in society. He often departs from well-known figures from literature, music, film and politics, whom he puts under the microscope and analyses. For the series Trying to be... he disguises himself as a number of notable figures from (art) history and our collective memory: from Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger to Che Guevara, Yasser Arafat and Pablo Escobar. By always imitating these personalities in their characteristic poses and accompanying clothing, he deconstructs a number of mythical figures and examines what makes a person iconic. In this way, through assuming the role of other characters, he also thematises the idea of an altered perspective and worldview.
