MAPPING THE EMOTIONAL REALM OF LANDSCAPE: THE PAINTING OF GUILLEM NADAL

Defined by a balance between emptiness and density, Guillem Nadal’s highly textured paintings present a dynamic equilibrium blending their tactile quality with the artist’s fluid and spontaneous gestures that recall the art of calligraphy. 

Based on the island of Mallorca, the artist feels and translates the atavic energy of his homeland into his multidisciplinary corpus of work. Close to Conceptualism and its environment, Nadal’s art is a metaphor for the artist’s spiritual and emotional dimensions. In his practice, he explores the mediums of drawing and painting, sculpture, and site-specific installations, using a unique abstract vocabulary. Almost bas-reliefs, his paintings are three-dimensional, featuring relief lines that rise like ridges in a topographic map. On the other hand, pigments of colour settle as if pressed by geological time, in a liminal space that has always captured Nadal’s fascination.

“Nadal speaks of his art as landscapes. They are visual and tactile landscapes, yes, but also memorial, emotional, imaginary.”

Currently exhibited at the Molteni New York and Miami flagship stores is a selection from the artist’s long-term project, “Projecte per a una illa”, an extensive series of works initiated in 2016 that conceptually maps the geography of the artist’s native island. 

Resulting from profound mastery, these paintings merge the contemporary artist's inner self with natural echoes, giving rise to multiple perceptions. Together, they form an interconnected narrative of abstract signs, movements, and matter, where artistic practice and emotion intertwine to inspire wonder and awe. Like a cartographer, Nadal restores the landscape to become, no longer geographical, but intimate. The region of the mind, interrelated with the natural dimension in which the artist is immersed, corresponds to the space of the art.

Mostly working on large formats, Nadal utilises a minimal colour scheme, anchored by white and black, and gray and brown tones. When different colours are introduced, they are limited to subtle variations like dark blue, red, and deep green. His entire palette is a direct reflection of nature, the exclusive source of his creative impulse.

Featuring cangiante colours, warm and cold nuances, these canvases are never fully monochrome. The colour is treated as a material element, enhancing the textural paper reliefs and imparting motion to the overall composition. This reflects Nadal’s profound aspiration to combine painting and sculpture, questioning the limits of both languages.

Aesthetically, Nadal’s paintings may recall natural formations, such as caverns, archipelagos, or waves, alongside moments of light and obscurity, volume and void. The core theme of the "island" is not approached literally; instead, this is investigated as a sentimental journey. The island becomes a metaphor for life, representing a path that leads back to the starting point and, ultimately, to the possibility of building a personal sanctuary.

Numbered amongst the most important contemporary artists in Spain, Nadal's artworks are held in public and private collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in Nice, the Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Centro Cultural de la Caja de Ahorros de Valencia, the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, and have been exhibited in prestigious museums, foundations, art fairs, including ARCO, Art Basel, FIAC, and Art Cologne.

Guillem Nadal's painting defines the entrance of the Aman New York urban sanctuary of hospitality

As part of the KALPA-curated art consultancy project, a monumental and emblematic black and white painting from the “Projecte per a una illa” series is permanently integrated into the minimal and refined interiors of Aman New York hotel, nestled in the heart of Manhattan.

Art meets Aman’s genius loci by way of Nadal’s painting, announcing a genuine experience of serenity and mindfulness. The ground floor of this exclusive hotel is the threshold, where guests are invited to step away from the outside world. Resonating with Aman's philosophical values, Nadal’s art represents a unique experience where creative impetus and meditation merge to find an unexpected sense of completeness.

C R E D I T S :



Photography of Guillem Nadal's works at Molteni&C: Daniel Civetta @danielcivetta for KALPA

Photography of Guillem Nadal's works at AMAN: Olga Niescier © AMAN

Quotes: Hao Yue for Yinjispace

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