Fabian Perez was born in Buenos Aires and brought up in the small but dynamic Argentinian city of Campana 50 miles outside the capital. From the age of nine he felt at home holding a paintbrush, producing surprisingly mature portraits of family and friends. His extraordinary parents played a huge part in his creative development; his mother was artistic and imaginative, while his father was a fascinating figure – well known locally both to the people and the police as a somewhat clandestine character with a hand in various business dealings that operated after dark in the nightclubs and on the streets of the city.

His father’s activities meant that the young Fabian was exposed to an interesting cast of characters, from handsome men who lived their lives on the edge to women who, as he himself puts it, “could seduce a man simply by lighting a cigarette”. Add to this a world of sultry and glamourous tango dancers, flamenco guitarists and gypsy musicians, and Fabian’s stunning paintings fall into context as atmospheric representations of forbidden sensuality and unnamed desires.

At the age of 16 he lost his mother, and at 19 his father followed, leading Fabian bereft. His search for an anchor in his life