Cristian Mesa Velazquez - Aureola

View from below, a swimmer remains beneath the surface with one hand on her hip and the other arm extended toward the viewer, as if inviting a closer look. Her face does not appear: head and hair dissolve in an explosion of coral, peach and ochre touches, where the surface light itself erases the limits of the figure. It is a deliberate choice, turning the swimmer into an almost anonymous presence, made of light and water. The body is built with brief and fragmented brushstrokes of orange, ochre and pink that reproduce the light drawing that the water projects on the skin. Amid that warm weave, the white bandeau bikini, twisted at the center, is resolved with a thick and creamy impasto. It is the most tactile and luminous area of the canvas and the point where the gaze rests. Around it, a deep cobalt blue lightens toward the surface in rays of turquoise and ultramarine, painted with directional strokes that simultaneously suggest depth, current and pressure of the water. The contrast of warm over cool, the tight framing and the viewpoint from below place the viewer inside the water, beside the figure. It is an oil with a loose and confident brushstroke, within the artist's series of submerged figures and the contemporary tradition of underwater swimmers painting. Technique: oil on canvas Measures: 42.5 x 62.5 cm Signed bottom left, 2026 Original work, made entirely by hand Includes certificate of authenticity Ships unframed for maximum security in transport Images with frame are only indicative; the frame is not included in the sale

Estimate:$1,115.54

View all items fromCatawikiorContemporary Art