Popular Malaga artist closes Nerja gallery after nine years
Paco Martín is best known for his sculptures including King Alfonso XII and Chanquete the fisherman, both in the eastern Costa del Sol town and the peeing dog on Paseo Larios in Torre del Mar
Well-known Malaga artist Paco Martín has closed his art gallery on Nerja's Calle Pintada on the eastern Costa del Sol after nine years. The space, which he opened in 2017, soon became a cultural and artistic reference point in the heart of the town.
"After so long, the time has come to close. The owners didn't want to renew the rent because they intend to renovate the house for residential use", explains the artist, who at 68 years of age says he feels "proud" to be able to continue living from art after a long professional career.
Martín, who is from Torre del Mar, acknowledges that these nine years have been marked by very different contexts. "They have been very different moments: Brexit, the Covid pandemic... and, even so, Nerja has been a real discovery," he says. The artist highlights the unique character of the town: "It is a unique place, with a lot of international tourism. It is not comparable to the rest of the Axarquía or Malaga. Only here can you have clients from so many countries".
At his gallery on Calle Pintada, Martín not only exhibited his work, but also created, shared processes and forged friendships. "Here I've enjoyed a lot and I've made great friends," he says. During these nine years he has worked mainly on paintings, rather than his sculptures, for which he is perhaps best known. "They are very personal and emotional works. My dreamlike and fantastical world connects a lot with people," he admits.
Sculptures
The finale of Martín's time in Nerja came at the end of November 2025, with the unveiling of the sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen on La Torrecilla promenade. "It was the best way to say goodbye to Nerja", he says. This public work was a symbolic and emotional closure of his artistic relationship with the town.
Not yet contemplating retirement, Martín says he is "thinking of opening a smaller gallery" in Torre del Mar. "Clients and friends keep asking me for it," he adds.
Paco Martín is the artist behind more than 70 sculptures in streets, squares and viewpoints throughout Malaga province, including the goats of Alcaucín or the Juanar viewpoint in Ojén, as well 'El Miguero' in Torrox, the farmer in Algarrobo, the 'Marengo' in El Morche, 'Chanquete' the loveable fisherman from the 1980s TV series Veran Azul and King Alfonso XII both in Nerja and the peeing dog on Paseo Larios in Torre del Mar.
