Guillem “Avi” Molinas Bort, a native of Barcelona, Spain is a self-taught painter and sculptor. His formal art education occurred in the library-like basement of the Sala Gaspar, where he spent countless hours studying the lines and form of Picasso, Miro, Tapies, & other great Catalan artists. This same gallery, the Sala Gaspar, was the first to represent Guillem and exhibit his work exclusively as a young adult. For many years, he enjoyed the success of being represented by this reputable gallery in the heart of Barcelona. But with the closure of the Sala Gaspar in 1996, and another gallery in New York City in 2001, Guillem largely retreated from the art world. He moved far from the bustling city streets to the quiet of the Pyrenees, where he completed public sculptures and found other work for nearly ten years.

In time, his love of the ocean, curiosity and a yearning for something new led him to Hawaii. Not only did he fall in love with the culture and heartbeat of the islands, he discovered a new enthusiasm for surfing. This passion for Hawaii’s most famous sport led him to the doors of the Kazuma Surf Factory, where he learned the art of shaping, painting, sanding and polishing surfboards. In this same venue he was inspired to recycle the resin that spills and hardens below the work surface.

At his home in Maliko Gulch, on the North Shore of Maui, Guillem creates his latest artwork, roused by his love for surf, sea and island life. These forces have culminated in the creation of unique, masterful sculptures, made almost entirely of recycled material. While enjoying every minute of his current work, his long-term vision is to acquire the resin of notable shapers throughout the world, and create new lines of distinct sculptures for surfers and non-surfers alike to appreciate.