“El Juli depicts an idol wounded in battle — an image that recalls many a fantasy of the archetypal hero and battle-weary soldier. Yet despite his obvious injury there is an expression of hunger in his eyes, he is not defeated, just further impassioned.” - Jessica Purefoy

El Juli comes from a dynasty of bullfighters and his skills as a matador are revered. One of the highest-paid toreros in history, his popularity is bolstered by his film-star looks. Fowler’s portrait of the famed bullfighter features the most ambitious use of her sculpted frames: in this case, 18 entwined nude figures encircle the ‘superstar’. If bullfighting is often seen as the ultimate realisation of male vanity, then these sculpted nudes are an angelic phalanx, protecting a disfigured yet god-like portrait.

Fowler recalls personally witnessing the overwhelming spectacle of El Juli fighting as a 16-year-old, his command of the audience and his shocking endurance when faced with injury and death. She based her portrait on a contemporary image of the matador, taken during a bullfight in which he sustained serious facial injuries. By stripping away the background of the source image and adorning her portrait with gold leaf, Fowler amplifies the violence and provides a triumphant contrast to his injuries, continuing her exploration of depictions of glorification and notions of the iconic.