Villa del Arte Galleries proudly presents the works of Dutch artist Christiaan Lieverse (Utrecht, 1971) in his second solo show to be held in Barcelona. The exhibition “Mist” will be inaugurated on 31 July and will be open to visitors until 1 September 2014. Lieverse wraps his works with a mysterious and ethereal aura which hypnotises the viewer, inviting them to discover the story contained within.

With a highly personal artist’s spirit, Lieverse’s forms are held in a realm of black and white and an infinite number of grey tones which impregnate the works with a certain enigma, at once subtle and volatile. Thanks to this chromatic purity, gestures and gazes emerge from the canvas to assume a real narrative force. Lieverse’s foregoing of colour means opening up the sense of the work, allowing it to flow freely and inviting the viewer to decipher it: “When I paint, I don’t want colour to serve as a distraction. I allow the image to take shape in black and white... For me, it’s about feeling the work and empathising with it. The focus of attention will always remain on the story the work tells, in what it wants to explain, question or reveal to us”.

In “Mist”, Lieverse continues his exploration of the depths of the psyche, sketching what is mysterious and fascinating about the human spirit. By presenting a vague background or completely omitting it, the figure painted is made all the more present, capturing the viewer’s attention. The female figures of the works in the exhibition seem to be surrounded by an almost impalpable mist. It is this indefinite, uncertain and sometimes contradictory halo which forges the identity of the works, opening them up to interpretation. The key to deciphering the enigma offered up by each work is in the viewer’s perception of it.

Among the works exhibited are three belonging to the Hybrids collection, a series combining the animal and the human through the reproduction of beautiful female faces digitally created by assembling photographs from different models, mirroring for symmetry and using “Phi” to depict the “divine proportion”. The resulting image is reproduced on cowhide and then painted. An artistic exercise that explores beauty by playing with the contrast between human perfection and animal coarseness. These works are fruit of the artist’s search for new pictorial languages which allow him to shape his ideas.

Christiaan Lieverse is represented by Villa del Arte Galleries. His work is exhibited in numerous private collections and the wide recognition received has brought him to exhibit his paintings in galleries in the Netherlands, Spain and the United States. He has participated in prestigious international fairs such as India Art Fair (India), Asia Contemporary Art Fair (Hong Kong), Art Hamptons (USA), Contemporary Istanbul (Turkey), Worlds Apart Singapore (Singapore), LA Art Show (USA), Scope Miami Beach (USA) and Art Beirut (Lebanon).

Villa del Arte Galleries

Barcelona Art galleries S.L
Calle Tapineria, 39
Barcelona 08002 Spain
Ph. (+34) 93 2680673
info@villadelarte.com
www.villadelarte.com

Opening hours

Daily form 10am to 11pm

Related images
  1. Christiaan Lieverse, Hybrid M.I2, 200 x 200 cm, diagonal. Mixed media on canvas
  2. Christiaan Lieverse, Hybrid NG2, 180 x 180 cm, diagonal. Mixed media on canvas
  3. Christiaan Lieverse, Zybrid N.A1, 200 x 200 cm, diagonal. Mixed media on canvas
  4. Christiaan Lieverse, Gaia 140 x 120 cm, limited edition, mixed media on canvas
  5. Christiaan Lieverse, Frozen, 180 x 150 cm. Oil acrylic paint on linen
  6. Christiaan Lieverse, Juliet, 180 x 150 cm. Unique edition, mixed media on canvas