Jaime Sicilia (Madrid 1970)

Jaime Sicilia (Madrid, 1970)

Jaime Sicilia (Madrid, 1970)

Jaime Sicilia (Madrid 1970)

We all enjoy looking at the sea. It has the ability to capture the gaze. It is magnetic. When we look at the sea, we feel immersed in a form of introspection that is both pleasurable and restorative. I believe this is because we never quite possess it. It is always changing, through the light, the waves, the wind. Even on a completely calm day, the sea remains in motion.

Years ago, I began to explore this theme. Initially, I focused on mosaics. I visited Ravenna in Italy, where there is a centuries-old tradition. I saw works by contemporary artists, who work from abstraction and geometry. During that journey, I also travelled to Japan, where I encountered the Rinpa school in Kyoto, from the 17th century. Its works adorn temples and castles. Japanese architecture is built with wood and lightweight panels designed to withstand frequent earthquakes. These panels were covered with gold leaf and nature motifs, symbols of the cycle of life—an important theme in Shinto.

Visiting these places, I discovered something special: how the works interact with natural light and the viewer’s perspective. Each time you see them, they seem different because the light or your position has changed. It struck me as the best way to represent the emotion of standing before the sea.

Seascapes is a collection of paintings that offers a contemplative experience of light, colour, matter, space, and time.