When we think of a journey generally, we relate with journey from one place to another place or one experience to another experience or one time to another time. We also consider life is a journey. However, this all journey we related with are just exterior or outer journeys. But there is an important journey that is very few dares to or capable of is journey within, in simple words - Inner Journey. Many treat it as spiritual journey. In fact, it is a journey of self-exploration, self-study, self-realization and self-awareness to connect with one’s own deepest core to discover inner potentials and live in the solitude of a life filled with creative possibilities.
One of such a rare person whom I recently came to across is a Spain born, Swiss resident, self-taught artist Almundena Pintado. Devamitra – The Artist Collective is pleased to host her online painting exhibition titled INNER JOURNEY, in respect of her self- discoveries, exclusively on our official website devamitra.com.
When Almundena was young, she always desired to devote her life to everything that is relates with creativity. Initially, she was attracted by the world of fashion. So, she educated herself as a stylist at a design school in Spain. In absence of social networks and social media during that time shaping a career in fashion industry was very tedious. Therefore, later she continued her education as an architectural designer. It was an alternative that ensured her a job and regular income. After following and practicing this career path for several years she always had a certain desire to follow the path of artistic creations. It was in 2004, at the age of 34, Almundena decided to take a plunge into becoming an artist, and she became a painter. Same year she had first exhibition to her credit. Since then, she never looked back or stopped painting, exhibiting, or being connected to the field art.
On her path as an artist Almundena discovered her own distinctive, qualitatively of a very high standard and aesthetically marveling visual language of her own. It’s something that happened gradually and, in several phases, or stages of life that eventually marked her life and nurtured her own artistic style.
In recent years she experienced most important and great spiritual changes in her life that is presently guiding her new body of works. Today her works are less thought driven but more intuitive, less cautious but more decisive, bolder, and even evocative. These changes could have been only possible as her process of creation is purely based on her experiences of inner journey and perpetual connection to her deepest core. This very journey is helping her to elevate to the state of creation where she can find her own visual language alive, free and flows naturally and effortlessly. These all traits are concealed in her body of works that are presently being exhibited at devamitra.com.
According to Almundena her greatest source of inspiration derived out of encountering self, especially being in the solitude and state of contemplation. “When we stop and look, we discover the mystery of the reality that surrounds us. Science helped us understand a lot of things, but there are limits, and that’s where the mystery begins. And this is this shock which, personally, brought me such a discovery, serves me to remove any banal and harmless aspect of our life and go towards the densest of life and creation,” says Almundena about her spiritually driven artistic journey.
From other hand Almundena was also inspired by few great contemporary Spanish painters such as Luis Feíto, Eduardo Millares and Antoni Tapies. Witnessing their works lead her to find her own inner master. As an artistic process of creation, she brings structure, space and feelings to each work. She also creates strong forms with dark colors and create tension with other lighter toned forms that would provide the feeling of going beyond the unlimitedness. In finality her compositions offer infinite creative possibilities and characters that one could simply sit, watch, and meditate with as each work was created in a meditative state.
“My works are what I feel, what I think, what I desire, what touches me, what makes me smile, what makes me sad. They are the inner strength, but also the weakness and the fragility. They are the mother, the daughter, the woman and the artist. They are everything, everything that I have been through and still I continue to be,” describes Almundena of her journey.
Almundena is an artist who doesn’t live in future instead here and now. Art is enriching her,and she enjoys it every moment. So, she ends up asking why she needs to jump into the future when all is well and being provided in this very moment.
(Copyright 2021, Deviprasad C Rao. Author is an Artist, Curator, Writer & Artist Facilitator. Founder of Devamitra Artists Collective based in Zurich, Switzerland. He can be reached through this website www.deviprasad.com)
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