Jose Begega is a secondary Asturian figure with a degree in Fine Arts from the Universitat Politècnica de València and a Master’s in Artistic Production and Research from the University of Barcelona. Begega’s work explores pleasure, grief, shame, trauma, and the stigma associated with what they consider secondary characters. Drawing on their experiences as a sex worker, HIV+, porn actor, drug user, and gay man, Begega constructs narratives that merge deconstruction and creation, using aspirational models, queer theory, science fiction, and conspiracism to shape identity. Their work is intentionally unfinished, questioning notions of success and failure.

They have held solo exhibitions at the Fundació Joan Brossa (Barcelona) and Kocka Gallery with QueerANarchive (Split, Croatia), and participated in group projects such as Narcohumanismo and Post-Traumatic Listening, curated by Pan-Pan Kolektiva at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid). As a writer, Begega has contributed to publications including Las Malas (La Casa Encendida, Madrid), Verónica (La Capella, Barcelona), and Ponerse en el Lugar del Otro (Museu de Granollers). They have been in residence at Hangar (Barcelona), Etopia (Zaragoza), L’Estruch (Sabadell), and Matadero (Madrid). Begega’s work has been presented widely in galleries, museums, and festivals, including Galería etHall (Barcelona), Arts Santa Mònica (Barcelona), Kunstgebäude (Stuttgart), PalmaPhoto’14, Roodkapje Rotterdam, and numerous others across Spain and Europe.