A Mexican architect who for years divided his talent between interior design and painting has decided to take a radical turn in his professional career. Gerardo Malo, trained as an architect and with an extensive career in furniture and interior design in Mexico, has left that facet behind to dedicate himself exclusively to art, a discipline he had been cultivating in parallel for nearly three decades.
His case is striking because it highlights an unusual path: that of a professional who built his career around the design of spaces and who, over time, found in painting a language of his own that eventually took precedence over everything else.
A perspective formed by architecture
Gerardo Malo's training as an architect marked his way of understanding artistic creation from the beginning. Space, materials, and proportion—elements inherent to his original discipline—became tools that he also translated into his pictorial work.
For years, this dual vocation coexisted without major conflict. Malo developed a consolidated career in design and furniture in Mexico, a field in which he built much of his professional reputation.
Nearly 30 years of painting in parallel
What few imagined is that, behind that career focused on interior design, Gerardo Malo had been painting for nearly three decades. It was not an occasional hobby, but a practice sustained over time that progressed discreetly alongside his main work.
This habit was even integrated into his own trade: it was common for Malo to conclude his interior design projects with one of his own paintings, a kind of personal signature that put an end to each commission.
When the work began to demand more
Over time, Gerardo Malo began to notice a tension between these two facets of his work. The paintings he created to close his interior design projects were designed, above all, to complete a specific space. They fulfilled a decorative and harmonious function, but they did not quite develop a narrative of their own.
That restlessness was what led him to make a decisive choice in his career: to put interior design on hold to focus solely and exclusively on painting. It was no longer about resolving someone else's commission, but about building his own artistic discourse, without the limitations imposed by a space or a client.
From commission to personal narrative
In practice, the change means moving from functional painting, subordinate to the needs of a design project, to work conceived as an end in itself. This transition reflects a process of artistic maturation in which personal exploration ends up prevailing over the practical utility that defined his work for years.
Gerardo Malo's journey, from interior design to a full dedication to art, illustrates how a practice sustained for years in the background can eventually become the central axis of a professional career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gerardo Malo?
Gerardo Malo is a Mexican architect who spent years developing a career linked to interior design and furniture before dedicating himself entirely to painting.
How long has Gerardo Malo been painting?
According to his own professional history, he began painting nearly 30 years ago, although during that time his career was primarily focused on interior design.
Why did he leave interior design?
Malo noticed that the paintings he created to close his interior design projects, intended to complete a space, did not manage to tell a story of their own, which led him to prioritize his development as a painter.
What was the relationship between his interior design and painting?
For years, Gerardo Malo combined both disciplines: it was common for him to seal his design projects with one of his own paintings as the final part of the commission.
What does Gerardo Malo do now?
After putting his career in interior design on hold, Gerardo Malo is dedicated solely and exclusively to painting.
