"I will make you a Star" is a series of works by Hunter & Gatti that reflects their desire to bring together photography and painting in one format. The artistic duo was inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat's neo-expressionist paintings, and more particularly by a specific incident in his career: the moment that art dealer Rene Ricard spotted Basquiat's work at a party and promised him that he would make him a star. When Basquiat's work started to become famous, the art world was living a very special moment. New York's art scene was overflowing with charismatic people and having a strong public persona was a major influence in the way one's work was perceived. Despite the fact that Basquiat's art was undoubtedly unique, his image, his aesthetic, and his personality contributed the most to his success. Hunter & Gatti wanted to pay tribute to Basquiat's legacy by merging the celebrity portraits they have made in the past for fashion editorials and campaigns, featuring the most iconoclastic members of today's scene with Basquiat's inspired paintings that transcend the limits of the art world and form part of our collective unconsciousness - just like the famous faces of their photos. Their idea was to create a series of original hybrids that explore the limits of popular culture. We may recognize the identity of the celebrities that are hidden behind the layers of painting, but at the same time we are left perplexed by the new faces that have emerged and this contradiction is the essence of "I will make you a star”.
Jon Kortajarena, Portrait on canvas Intervened by the artists
Jon Kortajarena, 2017
From The series, I will make you a star
Acrylic paint, Oil pastel pigment print on canvas.
Dimensions: 74 H x 52 W in.
Signed front and signed back Mounted on a stretcher
Cristian Hunter’s work starts from that belief. His photographs —created over a solid international career— are not mere documents, but open territories where painting, texture, and gesture expand photography into new dimensions of meaning. Hunter explores how an image can shift in meaning over time—how context, memory, and manual intervention can transform what was once captured into something newly revealed. Each piece is an invitation to look again, to uncover what lies beneath the visible. Guided by the premise that “nothing stays still,” he works from his personal archive, reinterpreting it, giving new life to what was once lived, and breaking the linear flow between past and present. His lens has captured renowned figures such as Pharrell Williams, Penélope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, Ewan McGregor, Lalisa Manoban, Adria Arjona, and Bruno Mars, among many others. Yet his focus goes beyond portraiture—what truly interests him is what remains when the image stops being literal and begins to emerge as a living object. His current body of work includes both new pieces and selected artworks from the artistic legacy of Hunter & Gatti, which he now manages. These are duly credited as “ created by Hunter & Gatti,” presented alongside his personal practice and establishing a dialogue between history, transformation, and contemporary gaze. His work has been exhibited in cities such as Barcelona, New York, and Miami, and reflects a visual practice grounded in experience, exploration, and ongoing evolution.
