MY ARTISTIC STATEMENT, SYMBOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY, AND TECHNIQUE

ENRIC AROMÍ-MASRIERA

Between the visible and the invisible

My work explores the uncertain territory where the human body encounters nature, memory, symbolism, and transformation.

I primarily work with painting, drawing, collage, and mixed media to create figures that exist between reality and dreams. Although something occasionally compels me to explore sculpture and literature.

My images are populated by bodies that fragment, merge, disappear, or intertwine with eggs, flowers, shells, fish, birds, octopuses, ants, bees, milk, honey…

These elements are not merely decorative; they function as symbols of identity, vulnerability, awareness, instinct, and change.

I am interested in the body as a threshold: a visible surface through which invisible experiences take place. In my work, the human figure is never entirely static.

It is always becoming something else: Something more fragile, more mysterious, or more deeply connected to the natural world.

My paintings invite the viewer to slow down, look beyond appearances, and enter a space where beauty can contain unease, vulnerability can express strength, and identity can remain open.

ABOUT ME

My artistic career

I am a visual artist born in Catalonia, near Barcelona, ​​whose work explores the border between the human form and surrealism.

I have always been drawn to images that contain more than one reality at once: the visible and the hidden, the physical and the psychological, the intimate and the universal. My artistic practice arose from the desire to investigate these contradictions through the body, the natural world, and the material surface of the artwork.

My work incorporates watercolors, acrylics, ink, graphite, wax, airbrush, encaustic, spray paint, collage, and mixed media, sometimes including a technique of my own invention (2001) called "Gelopaint," based on the chromatic gelatins of analog photography. I use these different approaches not as separate categories, but as complementary languages. Each technique allows me to explore a different dimension of experience: precision, atmosphere, erosion, transparency, density, or movement.

The human figure remains central to my practice. However, I don't approach it as a closed or definitive form. The body is a territory of memory and transformation. It can become a landscape, a shell, a flower, an octopus, a fish, a fragment, or an opening to an unknown inner world.

Growing up in Catalonia, I was surrounded by a rich artistic tradition, both social and familial, in which the body, symbolism, spirituality, and materiality have always played an important role. My work engages with these traditions while simultaneously moving towards a contemporary visual language defined by surrealism, mixed media, psychological symbolism, and the expressive possibilities of texture.

I create images that are deliberately open to interpretation. I don't want to tell everything within the frame. I prefer to leave room for ambiguity, because it allows the viewer to delve into the work and merge it with their own memories, emotions, and questions.

PHILOSOPHY

The female body as a threshold

The female body is the first territory we inhabit and the first language through which we experience the world.

Before identity becomes an idea, it is a physical sensation. We discover ourselves through skin, movement, vulnerability, touch, limitation, and desire. That is why the body in my work is never merely anatomical; it carries memory, tension, silence, resistance, the possibility of change and evolution.

My figures inhabit an intermediate state. They are neither entirely realistic nor completely imaginary. They are present, but never fully accessible. Their faces may appear hidden, fragmented, covered, or transformed. Their bodies may merge with organic forms or dissolve into the surrounding atmosphere.

Through these images, I explore identity as something unstable and evolving. I don't believe we are defined by a single, permanent image of ourselves. We are formed by layers of experience, memory, contradiction, loss, desire, and imagination.

Reality and dream

Surrealism allows me to represent what cannot be seen directly.

The impossible elements in my paintings are not meant to escape reality. They are a way of revealing emotional truths that realism alone cannot always express. An egg, an eggshell, a flower, a bird, or an octopus can become a psychological object: an image through which the inner world becomes visible.

My visual language arises from the encounter between recognizable forms and impossible relationships. I insert familiar objects into unexpected contexts to disrupt their usual meaning and open them up to new interpretations.

Nature and the human figure.

Nature appears in my work as an active force, rather than as a passive backdrop.

Flowers, insects, fish, birds, eggs, fruits, and marine life become extensions of the human body and consciousness. They suggest that human identity is not isolated but connected to larger organic systems.

The octopus, for example, can represent intelligence, adaptability, instinct, mystery, the unknown, but also the many arms of today's society with its influential and constantly aggressive claws. The egg can suggest origin, fragility, nourishment, or potential, but also beginnings, progression, intelligence, and the will to create something greater. I often include it as a primordial brain cell. Flowers can speak of beauty, renewal, vulnerability, but also transience.

These symbols do not have a fixed meaning. Their meaning varies according to the context of each of my works to guide the interpretive experience of each viewer.

Presence and absence

I am deeply interested in what is shown and what remains hidden.

A blurred face, a veiled gaze, a fragmented body, or a surface marked by cracks can suggest the instability of identity and memory. What I omit or what is missing from the image is as important, if not more so, than what remains evident or visible.

This tension between presence and absence allows the work to remain open. It creates a space in which the viewer is invited not only to observe, but to participate, to interpret, to voluntarily enter a world they might never have entered on their own.

WORK

A visual language of transformation

My work revolves around the human figure, but goes beyond traditional portraiture.

I create figures that exist between states: human and animal, body and landscape, reality and dream, vulnerability and strength. These transformations are not merely formal experiments; they reflect how identity changes over time and how inner experience often transcends outward appearance.

My works combine figurative clarity with surreal disruptions. A precisely rendered face can coexist with an impossible object. A realistic body can emerge from a damaged or abstract surface. A serene expression can be surrounded by symbols that generate uncertainty.

This relationship between precision and ambiguity is central to my practice

Recurring reasons

Certain themes reappear throughout my work:

• Eggs and eggshells as symbols of origin, fragility, food and potential.

• Octopuses as images of intelligence, adaptability, mystery, emotional depth, and absolute manipulation.

• Flowers and petals as symbols of beauty, transformation, renewal and the ephemeral.

• Eggshells as spaces of protection, shelter, birth and introspection.

• Veils and blindfolds as metaphors for concealment, perception, privacy, and altered vision.

• Birds as signs of freedom, communication and instinct.

• Water and marine imagery as representations of the unconscious and emotional depth.

• Cracks and worn surfaces as witnesses to the passage of time, memory and resilience.

• Geometric forms as signs of structure, fragmentation and of the systems that shape identity.

Beauty and restlessness

I am interested in the moment when beauty begins to transform into something more complex.

A harmonious color palette can contain a disturbing symbol. A delicate figure can be placed in an impossible setting. A serene expression can suggest an irresolvable inner tension.

I don't want my work to offer only visual pleasure. I want beauty to become a gateway to reflection. The first impression may be sensual, elegant, or dreamlike, but behind it often lies a question about identity, perception, memory, or the fragility of existence.

The role of the spectator

I never intend to impose a single interpretation on the viewer.

My intention is to create images that remain active in the imagination. The work is completed through the encounter between its visual language and the viewer's personal experience.

Each person brings a different memory, fear, desire, or symbolic association to the image. Therefore, I believe that ambiguity is not a lack of clarity, but rather a form of generosity: it offers the viewer the space to delve into the work.

SERIES

*Connected Worlds

My series are not isolated projects. They form a constellation of recurring ideas, motifs, and emotional states.

The same symbols may appear in different works, but their meaning changes depending on their relationship to the figure, the surface, and the surrounding atmosphere. A repeated motif is never exactly the same; it evolves.

 *Surrealist figurative works

This set of works focuses on the transformation of the human figure through unexpected symbolic elements.

Eggs, birds, octopuses, shells, flowers, and other organic forms disrupt the traditional portrait and create a dialogue between the human and the unknown.

Works that explore identity, perception, vulnerability, and the tension between the body we recognize and the inner self that remains mysterious.

*The egg and the figure

In this group of works, the egg becomes a recurring symbol of potentiality, origin, fragility, food, transformation, and often as the primordial implant of intelligence and consciousness that is granted to us at birth.

Sometimes it replaces the head. Sometimes it covers the eyes. Sometimes it seems to melt over the face or float above the body.

By placing the egg within the portrait, I question the stability of identity and the relationship between thought, body, and material existence. The egg is simultaneously everyday and symbolic, intimate and strange.

*Marine and octopus works

The marine works explore the relationship between the human body and the depths of the unknown.

The octopus appears as a creature of intelligence, adaptability, instinct, and mystery, but also, at times, as a representation of the social elements that shape our lives. Its tentacles can protect, conceal, embrace, or envelop the figure. The sea becomes a metaphor for the unconscious: an inner space where thoughts, memories, and emotions move beneath the visible surface.

These paintings reflect on the fluidity of identity and the possibility that the unknown is not external to us, but is already part of who we are.

*Veiled and fragmented figures

This series investigates concealment, anonymity, memory, and the instability of the visible self.

Veils, blindfolds, blurred facial features, geometric overlays, and dissolving contours disrupt the traditional function of portraiture. The figure remains recognizable, but the individual identity is never fully revealed.

These works raise questions about how much of ourselves we choose to show, how much remains hidden from others, and whether identity can exist without a stable image. Ethereal and atmospheric figures

In these works, the human figure emerges from fog, shadow, light, or abstract surfaces.

The body becomes less solid and more atmospheric. It seems to exist between memory and presence, dream and eve, materiality and disappearance.

I use blurred outlines and restrained palettes to create images that invite serene contemplation. These works focus less on narrative and more on the emotional sensation of inhabiting an uncertain space.

*Landscapes and natural forms

My landscapes and works with natural themes expand upon the general concerns of my figurative practice.

Trees, water, flowers, organic forms, and abstract natural environments become meditations on time, memory, fragility, and continuity. Nature is presented as a living archive: an element that preserves traces of transformation and endures through change.

TECHNIQUE

Material as meaning

My process begins with an interest in the surface of the material.

I use acrylic paint, airbrush, spray paint, watercolor, graphite, inks, collage, and mixed media. These techniques allow me to move between control and chance, precision and erosion, softness and resistance.

I don't treat technique as separate from meaning. The physical character of the surface contributes directly to the emotional and philosophical dimension of each work.

Layer overlay

I build my images using multiple layers.

Some layers are transparent and atmospheric. Others are rough, scraped, scratched, or partially removed. This process allows the image to retain a sense of history, as if it were continually being built and revised.

The layering of memories also reflects how memory works. We don't remember in a perfectly ordered way. Images overlap, disappear, return, and change according to time and emotion.

Texture

Texture creates a dialogue between the visual and the physical.

A smooth area can suggest skin, silence, or vulnerability. A rough area can evoke memory, erosion, or resilience. Cracks and abrasions break the illusion of a stable image and remind the viewer that the work is, simultaneously, representation and object.

The surface becomes a record of time. It shows not only what the image represents, but also something about how it came about.

Airbrush, Aerosols and Diffusion

They allow me to create smooth transitions, atmospheric effects, and a sense of dissolution.

I use diffusion to soften the boundary between the figure and its surroundings. This helps the body appear to emerge from or return to the surrounding space.

The absence of defined contours lends itself to a more psychological interpretation. The figure is not simply situated in a physical environment; it seems to exist within an emotional or metaphysical realm.

Ink, waxes, and surface depth

The ink introduces a soft, luminous quality.

Waxes can preserve, conceal, seal, or alter an image. They create a physical distance between the viewer and the depicted figure, while simultaneously drawing attention to the artwork's presence as an object.

This tension between preservation and concealment is fundamental to my interest in the medium. Found and utilitarian supports.

CANVAS AND SACKS

When I work with materials like original coffee sacks, I let the history of the material remain visible.

The fibers, seams, irregularities, and worn areas become part of the composition. These elements link the work to ideas related to labor, circulation, consumption, and the movement of objects through the world.

Coloring on these surfaces creates a dialogue between everyday materials and symbolic imagery. The utilitarian object becomes a space for introspection.

Precision and imperfection

My process combines detailed figurative representation with deliberate disruption.

I can carefully construct the features of a face and then disrupt them with a veil, a symbolic object, a crack, a geometric shape, or a layer of abstraction.

This contrast reflects the central tension of my work: the desire to recognize and the need to accept uncertainty.

COLLECTING

Living with the work

I believe that collecting art is not just an act of acquisition. It is an act of establishing a long-term relationship with an image.

A work of art enters a space, but it also enters the emotional life of the person who lives with it. Over time, the relationship evolves. Details become more visible. Meanings change. The artwork begins to coexist with memories, conversations, and everyday experiences.

My paintings are created for sustained interaction. They are not meant to be quickly consumed. Their symbolic elements, material surfaces, and layered atmospheres are revealed gradually.

You could say that my works are like the cover of a good book; as you read it, you discover more worlds, more details each day. The great advantage is that the ending is determined by the viewer, but also by their multiple re-readings with their infinite meanings.

My work is aimed at collectors who are attracted to:

• Contemporary figurative art with symbolic depth.

• Surrealism and imagery with a strong psychological charge.

• Textured surfaces and mixed media techniques.

• Human and natural forms in the process of transformation.

• Art open to personal interpretation.

• Works that contribute both atmosphere and visual presence to the space.

Exhibition and atmosphere

The ideal presentation depends on the nature of each work.

Textured surfaces benefit from carefully controlled lighting that reveals their depth without creating excessive reflections. Works with restrained colors often look best against neutral-toned walls and in serene settings, while pieces with more intense colors can act as focal points in contemporary interiors.

The relationship between the artwork and the space is fundamental to me. A painting should never simply occupy a wall; it should transform the atmosphere of the room and create a space that captures attention.

Original works and editions

The original works retain the physical presence of the material: the surface, layers, imperfections, and traces left during the creative process.

Selected works will also be available in high-quality art editions, but never in the same size as the original. These editions allow the image to reach a wider audience while maintaining a close connection to the original artwork.

Information on availability, dimensions, materials, editions and current prices can be provided upon request.

A personal relationship

I hope that my work acquires a relevant meaning in the life of the collector, beyond its decorative function.

Each painting conveys an atmosphere, a question, or a tension. When it becomes part of a collection, it begins a new chapter. Its meaning no longer depends solely on my initial intention, but also on the memories and reflections it evokes in its new environment.

Collecting one or more of my works means living with an open image, capable of evolving as the viewer changes.

CONTACT

Start a conversation

I am open to talking with collectors, galleries, curators, designers, institutions and anyone interested in learning more about my work.

If you would like information on available original works, editions, exhibitions, collaborations or commissions, please contact me.

I am particularly interested in projects that explore contemporary figurative art, surrealism, symbolism, mixed media, identity, the human body, and the relationship between humanity and nature.

Consultations

When contacting me about a piece, please include:

• The title of the work.

• Its location.

• If you are interested in an original work or an edition.

• Any questions about dimensions, materials, shipping, or presentation.

• The intended context for the work, if applicable.

It will be a pleasure to provide you with more information and discuss your options.

Final reflection

My work is an invitation to pause, to observe carefully and to remain open to uncertainty.

If any of my paintings awakens a feeling of recognition, unease, curiosity, or serene reflection, the dialogue has already begun.