Josefina Ayllón (La Plata, 1973) is an Italian-Argentinian artist.
In her artworks she explores, mainly through the portrait, the possibilities of painting, deliberately moving away from academicism and prioritising the colour and materiality of the paint.
After graduating with a degree in Audiovisual Design from the University of Buenos Aires, she turned her focus to writing. Her play “Fronterizos” has been performed in theatres across multiple countries. In 2002, she relocated to Paris, where she began working as a self-taught painter, embarking on a new chapter in her artistic journey.
EXHIBITIONS
2026 - Geografia dell’attrito - A+B Gallery - Brescia - Italy
2025 - L’appuntamento (Solo show) - z2o Project - Rome - Italy
2025 - Arte in Nuvola, with z2o Gallery - Rome - Italy
2025 - Beep 2024 - Do Androids Dream - Oriel Croesor - Croesor - North Wales
2025 - Beep Painting Biennial 2024 - Aberystwyth University - Aberystwyth - Wales
2024 - Beep Painting Biennial 2024 - Elysium Gallery - Swansea - Wales
2021 - Spring Awakening - virtual exhibition - London Paint Club - London - U.K.
2021 - Group Show - virtual exhibition - Shrine - New York - U.S.A.
2020 - Divine Delirium - Going Postal Gallery - New York - U.S.A.
2020 - Palazzo Monti: Transatlantico - Mana Contemporary - Jersey City - U.S.A.
2016 - RSA Open exhibition - Royal Scottish Academy - Edinburgh - Scotland
2015 - RSA Open exhibition - Royal Scottish Academy - Edinburgh - Scotland
2014 - RSA Open exhibition - Royal Scottish Academy - Edinburgh - Scotland
2011 - Tedio Untable (Solo show) - Centro Cultural Borges - Buenos Aires - Argentina
PRIZES
2025 - Recommended by the jury - Combat Prize 16th. Edition - Livorno - Italy
2025 - Finalist - Exibart Prize N5 - Italy
2024 - Longlisted - Beep Painting Biennial 2024 - Elysium Gallery - Swansea - Wales
2022 - Honourable Mention - Art Matters - Galerie Biesenbach - Cologne - Germany
2020 - Finalist - Exibart Prize 2020 - Italy
RESIDENCIES
2019 - Palazzo Monti - Brescia - Italy
PRESS
Ludovica Palmieri, “Josefina Ayllón a z2o project, lo spazio all’Aventino di Sara Zanin”, Artribune, December 26, 2025
Matteo di Cintio, “Padre al padre. Vuoti e funzioni simboliche nelle opere di Kaikkonen e Ayllón”, Espoarte, November 16, 2025
Silvia Conta, “Novembre in galleria: le mostre che inaugurano a novembre in Italia”, Il giornale dell’arte, November 2025
Giles Sutherland, "Rewarding views if you can find a way through the clutter", The Times (Scotland), December 4, 2014
Duncan MacMillan, "Diverse and fascinating Scottish Society of Artists", The Scotsman, December 12, 2014
CATALOGUES
2025 - Exibart prize N5 - cat. finalisti - exibart edizioni - Italy
2025 - XVI Premio Combat Prize - ed. Sillabe - Italy
2024 - Beep Painting Biennial - exh. cat. - Elysium gallery - Swansea - Wales
2020 - Exibart prize 2020 - cat. finalisti - exibart edizioni - Italy
All images @Josefina Ayllón