Corrida, 2015

“Corrida” is among the first paintings of the series and represents an attempt to capture its fundamental idea. Rather than depicting the participants of the ritual, it concentrates on the atmosphere of the arena and on the emotional and symbolic meaning of colour.

The monochromatic composition is built almost entirely from shades of red, broken by subtle accents of blue and darker tones. The multilayered painterly matter creates a space resembling traces left by time, movement and memory. Red ceases to be merely a colour — it becomes a symbol of life, passion, courage, sacrifice and the energy inscribed in the ritual of the corrida.

Stripped of narrative, the painting invites contemplation of the essence of the experience itself. It is not a record of a particular event, but a painterly attempt to capture the emotion and tension that have accompanied this ritual for centuries.

One of the three paintings that begin the Corrida series.