Eduardo Ralita

Eduardo Ralita - Koh Rong 01.

Biografía del Artista: BIO & Statement Eduardo Ralita (Barcelona, ​​??1967) PhD in Architecture from the University of Oxford, UK. Master in Architecture and Critical Theory from the University of Nottingham. His painting is a constant investigation from the expressionist materialist tradition of Arte Povera and abstract informalism. He lives and works in Europe and currently resides in Saudi Arabia, where he resides and has worked on the research of his most recent work. He paints primarily on burlap and paper in a sensual and explosive manner, giving the works a strong, powerful presence and a lasting impact. He tears at the paint, splashes the openings, ties the edges together and goes beyond the surface and boundaries as if the energy of the working artist had no limits. At times it is a furious process, both physical and intellectual, a rebellion against uniformity and standardization, and a reaction to the superficial and glossy production of the contemporary art industry, as distracting as it is banal. Years of training During his formative years, Eduardo Ralita explored a variety of Abstract Expressionist techniques, from Pollock’s drips on cut wooden planks (first exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta in 1992) to Rothko’s gently layered, watered-down oils (exhibited in Barcelona in 2012), and De Stael’s vibrant colour combinations. ER Japanese Calligraphies (2012) uses specific brush strokes and gestures. ER Chinese Landscapes (2016) conveys a universal longing for nature as a sanctuary from chaos. ER Skies of Palma (2016) is a series of tectonic abstractions that convey the sense of pressure and release when walking through medieval urban centres, focusing on the edge between the built urban form and the sky beyond. History and theory Eduardo Ralita's work is raw and does not seek a conceptual wrapper, but there is an intellectually trained and sharp mind behind it all. For her Masters in Architecture at Oxford, she researched the historical development of the relationship between museums and cities, and her thesis won the Reginald Cave Prize for Best Major Study (1996). It narrated an almost eternal love affair between art display and urban settlements, which first met by displaying sculptures at height, closer to the gods, and gradually became inserted into the urban fabrics of European city centres, from private to public spaces, to then become instigators of new urban developments, and then become places of entertainment and tourist destinations. His MA in Architecture and Critical Theory at the University of Nottingham (1997–98), a ground-breaking and advanced multidisciplinary theoretical examination of contemporary debates in cultural and social studies, literary theory and contemporary Western philosophies, reinforced both an informed belief that the arts and humanities have a pivotal role to play in an over-technological and mechanised society by actively promoting critical thought and action, and the way in which art practice must positively contribute to this in a phenomenological and hermeneutic way, as a discipline which inevitably has a direct effect on the human body and senses, and therefore, by default, on society as a whole. Eduardo’s thesis, On the Extruded Section, a critique of the dehumanising impact of technological mass production on contemporary architecture (removing warmth, emotion and individuality), was awarded an MA with distinction by the external examiner Terry Eagleton. Painting Themes Ralita paints on burlap to convey a more passionate and textured impression to viewers. The smooth and simple surface of the canvas seems to not contain enough emotions, hence the three-dimensional approach to the painting. In addition to the physical and sensual, Ralita works on spiritual themes of rebirth and salvation through art, inspired by Kiefer’s works and personal experiences of loss and recovery. ER Burlap flowers emerge from a barren landscape as a symbol of life and enduring love, following the devastation of the human experience, death, depression, suicide and heartbreak. ER Ultramarine blues are a precious pigment for 16th century Venetian painters, reserved for only the most sacred figures due to its scarcity, and which today magically conveys infinity in the sky and the sea, the supernatural and melancholy. ER Islands are places that inspire solitude and reflection, on the fragility of existence and the inevitability of the passage of time. Chinese landscapes convey a misty world of ascending paths and distant cliffs, where a solitary hut or hermit's cave can be a refuge for body and mind, a universal longing to be at one with nature. In addition to universal themes, the numerous places in Europe and Asia where Eduardo Ralita has lived and worked add further layers of colors and materials to his abstract compositions. The new Cambodian works in progress use earthy colours, straight from Ratanak Dark Brown, Mondulkiri Red Brown and Kampot Red, and green sandstone from Siem Reap. They speak of resilience in the face of constant hardship.

Informalist Painting. A work about spiritual salvation through art. The "Cambodian Paintings" series is a collection of works that are the result of research into color and matter, works inspired by the earthy, brown and red tones, sand and jungle of a magical and mystical country, with resilient and generous people, whose tropical beauty is interpreted in this series of oil and burlap works on canvas.