In Conversation with Guillem Nadal
Q: Your painting is both organic and baroque. Do you see a Spanish tradition in it?
A: Yes, particularly influenced by Tenebrism or by painters such as Caravaggio. Perhaps the material reflection of this influence is my preference for darker tones or even the lack of colour altogether.
Q: The canvas appears to be a mixture of material and pigment. Where did this idea of various mediums on canvas originate from?
A: With time many Matter artists such as Anselm Kiefer or Antoni Tàpies have influenced my practice. The mixture of mediums, this ‘matter’, became an intrinsic part of my practice. It evolved and became organically integrated as part of the broader creative process.
Q: Your paintings give out an element of vibration. Would you say this serves as an integral feature of success?
A: Sometimes my work leads me to inexplicable interactions. The piece might transform into something almost unknown to me and create an absolutely different dialogue, irrational yet fascinating.
Q: How did the classical idea of incorporating embroidery into your canvases come about?
A: I was born into a family of great embroiderers and my mother continued with this tradition. It is a deep-rooted memory of my childhood and this need to use it as a medium appeared very spontaneously in my practice.
Q: For you, what do the threads in your works symbolise? Do they have any relation to the philosophical classicism of Ariadne's thread?
A: This would be a possible and alluring reading of my oeuvre given the fact that each piece will never stop being a deeply personal labyrinth for me.
Q: What are the main sources of inspiration for your creativity?
A: I am not a firm believer of inspiration; I believe in working. Although sometimes an unexpected element, say a text, a melody, a trip, a landscape, can be a catalyst in my work.
Q: Would you like to comment on the organic character of your paintings? Do you see a meditative aspect to them, as one experiences when facing nature?
A: Earth, fire and matter are present in a multitude of works. My perspective of the world immediately takes me to the creation of survival spaces, by this meaning the creation of fictional places or spaces from where I can imagine a new reality.