Miaz Brothers

Miaz Brothers (Italian, b. 1965 & 1968) are a visionary artist duo celebrated for their ethereal, out-of-focus portraits that challenge perception and invite viewer interpretation. Using layers of aerosol paint, they create dreamlike figures that dissolve into mist, evoking memory and the passage of time. Their innovative approach to portraiture has gained international recognition, redefining traditional representation. Explore the mesmerising world of the Miaz Brothers and discover artworks that blur the line between presence and absence.

"We look to provide a visual experience that compels the viewer to recognise and re-establish the limits of his or her own perception."

The sibling duo Renato and Roberto Miaz, collectively known as The Miaz Brothers, present a radical new approach to the genre of portraiture with their hazy, refracted paintings. Using their signature blurring technique, created with layers of aerosol paint, they have pioneered an oeuvre that is unmistakably theirs, rendering their subjects just out of reach while demonstrating a deep respect for the formal qualities of Old Masters paintings—the ignition that fuels the brothers’ work. “It is not possible to gaze passively,” they say of their creations. “Instinctively, you move closer or further away to decode what is before you.”

Raised in Milan and currently living and working in Valencia, the brothers are classically trained, with their professional paths modelled on those of Renaissance artists, emphasising travel, philosophy, and experimentation. Their first exhibition in 1996 at the Viafarini Gallery in Milan marked the beginning of their profound interrogation of visual perception.

In 2020, The Miaz Brothers undertook an artists’ residency at our Shepherd Market gallery, followed by their debut solo exhibition with Maddox in 2021. Their most recent solo show, Don’t Look Now, took place at our Westbourne Grove gallery in November 2022. “What The Miaz Brothers have found is this interesting place where they’re just about to transition from portraiture into abstraction,” says Maeve Doyle, Artistic Director at Maddox. “They remove the ownership of art—it’s for each individual to engage with their works and fill in the blanks with their own imagination.”