Pablo Barba

Pablo Montealegre Barba (born 1985) is a Chilean-born American painter based in New York City. He is known for his vibrant, figurative oil paintings that blend traditions of historical genre painting with contemporary internet culture, stock photography, advertising, memes, and social media imagery.

Early life and education Pablo Montealegre Barba was born in 1985 in Santiago, Chile. He grew up in the final years of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and during the rapid social and economic changes of Chile in the 1990s.

His grandparents and parents were architects. Barba has noted that while opportunities for painters were scarce—there was no notable museum collection or robust art market at the time—the environment was also liberating as he felt free to paint whatever he wanted without strong market pressures. after moving to New York in 2014. During this period, he spent significant time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which had a substantial influence on his work. wellness and lifestyle tropes (Women Laughing Salad), and consumer frenzy (Black Friday). Critics have described his approach as blending humor, grotesquerie, and empathy.

Live, Laugh, Love (A Hug From The Art World, New York, 2022)

Genre Paintings (A Hug From The Art World, New York, 2023)

Women Laughing Salad (A Hug From The Art World, East Hampton, 2024)

Black Friday (A Hug From The Art World, New York, 2025)

His work has received coverage in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Juxtapoz, Air Mail, Artsy, and other publications. He lives and works in New York.