Rafa Silvares Tiles, 2026
Oil on linen
120 x 100 cm (47 1/4 x 39 3/8 in)
Rafa Silvares's Tiles is drenched in deep shades of blue, seamlessly moving between illumination and shadow.
Executed in oil on linen, the painting depicts four round lighters merging with the abstract blue gradients that form the composition's backdrop. While the reduced color palette gives rise to a chilled aesthetic, the reflection of light on matte, smooth or shiny surfaces figures another formal theme of the work.
In Silvares's work, time appears arrested and space collapsed onto itself. Amidst the seductiveness of their smooth surface and the visual pleasure of expanses of brilliant color, we have an intuitive understanding of the allegorical nature of his paintings.
Executed in oil on linen, the painting depicts four round lighters merging with the abstract blue gradients that form the composition's backdrop. While the reduced color palette gives rise to a chilled aesthetic, the reflection of light on matte, smooth or shiny surfaces figures another formal theme of the work.
In Silvares's work, time appears arrested and space collapsed onto itself. Amidst the seductiveness of their smooth surface and the visual pleasure of expanses of brilliant color, we have an intuitive understanding of the allegorical nature of his paintings.