The woman in the patterned dress and the cactus on her lap is now sitting with Steffi Hugendubel-Doll in the dining room. She liked the picture by the Spanish painter Didier Lourenço so much that the gallery owner kept it for herself. It comes from his “Invisibles” series, works from it can be seen in the Kunststücke gallery in Obermenzing until the end of January.
There is a current reference to the situation in times of exit and contact restrictions: Because with the title Lourenço describes the invisibility to the outside that arises through individual retreat into one’s own home. In his works he shows happily smiling, colorfully dressed women who look directly at the viewer. This open, blunt look creates an intimate connection that seems to soften the distance and isolation. In fact, one could have the impression that the women in the paintings are present in the room and take part directly in the action.
Lourenço comes from a small town not far from Barcelona. At the age of 19, the 52-year-old began his first experiments with oil on canvas and lithographic prints. A few years later he won the “Banco Sabadell Prize”, an important award for young Spanish talents. Numerous solo exhibitions followed, and today his works hang in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and South Africa. And in Obermenzing, because Steffi Hugendubel-Doll represents the artist in Germany. By chance she discovered Lourenço’s work on a trip to Barcelona and was able to win him over for a first presentation two years ago. Lourenço was not able to accompany his current “invisible” ladies, gathered under the exhibition title “Inside”, to Munich in person due to travel restrictions, but the gallery owner is in close telephone contact with the artist. Why does he love to paint women so much? “I’m a spanish man!”, He is a Spanish man, says Didier Lourenço in his smoky, soft voice on the phone. His southern temperament penetrates into the cloudy and cold Obermenzing, even his sonorous smile can be felt. With this answer one is – without a doubt – satisfied.
The background of his pictures is inspired by the geometric patterns of old Catalan tiles, which are often continued in the clothes of women. Sometimes a cat sits in the picture, a parrot, an elephant or a cactus. The lively colors of the pictures are contagious, as is the warm and happy charisma of the female faces. Madonna-like, with big eyes they look at you. Sometimes dreamy, or even asleep, as in “The Dream”. Lourenço’s style is somewhat reminiscent of Oskar Schlemmer, the faces appear partly cubist, and yet his imagery cannot be compared. The Spaniard’s oil paintings are spirited, and sometimes he just enjoys “doing nonsense,” he laughs rumbling on the phone. And let your imagination run wild. This is how the woman on the flying clothespin was born, the title “Fly with me” exudes lightness and joie de vivre.
For the finissage at the end of January, Lourenço may be able to fly to Munich in person. Until then, he will also be happy to telephone interested visitors directly. Like with Antje Haddick. The 53-year-old immediately fell in love with the cheerful and life-affirming images, the “expressive femininity and the Spanish flair” do it to her. Her favorite work shows a woman with large, brown eyes, in a flowery dotted dress, with a blue cat by her side. The friendly lady will soon be sitting in the Haddicks’ living room and will be very present there.
The exhibition “Inside” by Didier Lourenço is in the Kunststücke gallery, Bergsonstraße 45, until January 26th, to see: Thursdays and Fridays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment on 0170/245 76 31.
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