In this work by Mersedes Mein, matter seems to act as actively as the hand that shaped it. The surface grows in deep reliefs, crossed by oblique lines that traverse the canvas like fissures. The sculpted stucco creates a tactile topography where colour and volume are inseparable.
Red dominates the composition, ranging from crimson to copper. It does not overwhelm; it carries the weight of feeling. Within these layered textures, blue appears as a zone of depth, concentrated and slightly withdrawn. It does not oppose the red. It opens an inner space — a point of steadiness for the gaze.
The oblique forms create a subtle sense of motion. Nothing feels static. The layers reveal gesture, revision, restraint. The material keeps the memory of its making. Between structure and fracture, the canvas becomes a place where emotion gradually takes form.
This is central to Mersedes Mein’s practice: transformation not as spectacle, but as a natural condition of matter. Painting exists here as relief, close to touch, close to the body. The work invites a contemplative gaze — one that follows the sculpted lines like an inner landscape.
La trama delle emozioni does not depict emotion. It reveals its material architecture.
This piece does not seek to dazzle. It settles gently into a room like a quiet presence. The textured surface enters into dialogue with the light: the reliefs sharpen, then soften, as the day unfolds. The deep blue and layered reds bring an inner sense of breath to the space.
Placed in a calm environment — a refined living area, a study, a reading room — it does not impose itself. It remains. The gaze returns to it, drawn by the depth of the material. The work offers a discreet steadiness — a subtle anchor within everyday life.
The work of Mersedes Mein will be presented in February in the exhibition Le Lien at the Musarthis Art Gallery, exploring the many forms of relation — to matter, to the world, and to oneself.
Marlena Des
Founder and Curatorial Director
Musarthis Art Gallery (M.A.G)
