About - Placas - Paintings

The Placas paintings sit within a wider, ongoing practice, shaped by observation, place, and process. As with much of the work, materials and ideas evolve gradually, often informed by small, incidental encounters rather than any single defining source.

During a period of work in the studio in Barra de Ferro, walks through the narrow streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter led to the discovery of a traditional hardware store tucked away behind the studio. Inside, the space unfolded like a labyrinth, narrow aisles lined with drawers, shelves, and stacked metal parts accumulated over decades. Among these modest, functional objects were small metal plates, known in Spanish as placas.

These elements were not conceived as a starting point, but became quietly significant as the paintings developed. Introduced into the work, they add a subtle physical presence and a dialogue between industrial material and painted surface. Their functional origins sit in contrast to the intuitive nature of the process, lending the works a grounded, understated tension.

The series takes its title from these incorporated forms, acknowledging their role as one contributing element within a broader visual language rather than a singular source of inspiration.