ANTONIA FERRER

Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.

Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.__

Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.__

Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.

• Kenji Miyazawa

Antonia Ferrer, an introspective woman, manages to transmit her inner world through her works, creating a deep connection with those who contemplate them. It is the language she uses to communicate outwardly, the work is her.

Her monochrome paintings reduce the noise so present in our contemporary lives, and invite us into a world of subtle sensitivity. She transmits the simple things to which we do not give much importance, and makes us see the delicacy of things.

Antonia Ferrer presents her new body of work in Alzueta Gallery Madrid. The artist has elaborated the paintings, inspired by the textures on the sand of the beach after a storm, representing thick and pronounced scars. The storm itself is no longer there to be observed, what remains is the silent trace of what has already happened, the indelible imprint. Matter, composition and color form the basis of her technical process, an alchemy that takes time. What is born as an idea in her head comes out through her hands, in the workshop, with an immediacy, propelled by the restlessness of a continuously active mind.

The connection between the landscape and the body is manifested in each brushstroke, conveying a sense of strength and resilience through imperfection and beauty found in chaos. The evolution of her work towards more textured and corporeal, almost sculptural paintings reveals a shift implying something more baroque, moving away from minimalism to explore the depth and intensity of her artistic expression. Her work is like the sea, sometimes calm, sometimes agitated and tumultuous, expanding. Natural materials, such as beach sand, become protagonists in the creation of herworks, providing a tangible connection with the environment. This time the cracks allude to skin, to the traces or scars that time inflicts upon us.

The rocks of Cap de Creus have inspired the carefully selected color palette, which ranges from deep blacks to soft whites and earth tones, reflecting the complexity of human emotions and the richness of lived experience. The use of layers of pigments creates a visual depth that invites contemplation and reflection, revealing hidden stories between textures and shapes. In the works we can find a distinctive feature, the crevice, almost like a bas-relief. It is as Leonard Cohen says: There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.

The Oriental influence in her art is evident through the minimalist aesthetic and the search for beauty in flaw, reflecting the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi (the Japanese worldview based on transience and imperfection). Ferrer fuses elements of nature with the human experience, creating a visual narrative that invites the viewer to explore the intersection between the physical and the emotional. Her work, steeped in emotions and personal experiences, invites reflection and contemplation, challenging the viewer to embark on a unique visual and sensory journey.

The observation and dedication behind Antonia’s creative process is fundamental: from inspiration in nature to the manifestation of personal emotions through painting, a constantly evolving artistic trajectory is revealed based on attention to detail, choice of materials and vulnerability. Using the expressive properties of the material she manages to build a timeless vocabulary of her own.