15 Sensual and Intimate Paintings of Male Relationships by Dani Torrent

Dani Torrent's work spans fields and subjects. With a Ph.D. in fine art and a degree in art history, Torrent has illustrated for a variety of books and exhibitions.

A focus since his very first showings includes the physicality of bodies, he says. Most of those bodies are male.

Torrent said it took the pandemic for him to return to his first interests. The images below are rooted in intimacy between men.

"At the time, I had broken up with my partner and was confined to home alone. It is understandable that what I wanted to draw were naked men and couples in love. It was a body of work that I made for myself, with no intention of showing it, but I was planning an exhibition in a museum near Barcelona. The director liked my drawings and that's what we exhibited," the Spanish artist told The Advocate in a statement. "This is how these drawings became something public, something official."

He adds that he tries to avoid artificial poses in his art.

"I rather show everyday love and affection," Torrent said. "My work is centered on intimacy, on what two people that love each other do when they are alone."

He explained that intimacy isn't just sex.

"For me, intimacy and sex scenes are not two different themes, but rather sex, like kissing, cooking together, or sleeping in each other's arms, are part of intimacy, of a relationship. In fact, sex interests me for its relational, communicative, or complicity aspects. However, I work on male intimacy in a broader sense."

Torrent's upcoming exhibitions of his intimacy paintings are at Studio64 on May 19 in Valencia, Spain; Café Belén in Madrid, Ca l'Anita in July in Roses, and a location to be determined in Amsterdam in August.

You can follow Torrent on Instagram at @daniel_torrent.