Mireia Ruiz, living and creating in full colour
A visual artist who transforms each canvas into a vibrant dialogue of colours and shapes.
From her studio in Barcelona, Mireia mixes tones that capture emotions, and in this interview she tells us how these colours not only decorate, but also tell stories... Don't miss her unique perspective that combines art, ecology and a magical touch of 80's nostalgia... Immerse yourself in her world!
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation come from?
I am a visual artist, born in Barcelona. I have worked as an art director and I am currently focused on my artistic side.
My work is closely linked to the expression of colour as a communicative tool, and to geometric composition. My work is based on the pleasure I get from combining colours, their tones, cold and warm, neutral and saturated, I have no barriers... It is curious how my state of mind is expressed in that very moment, when I make a pact of colours in front of the blank canvas.
My relationship with colour comes from my childhood, a childhood immersed in the aesthetics of the 80s, which has marked my career and is expressed in my work. I remember that my mother insisted a lot on the combination of colours in my clothes, my socks had to match my T-shirt and so on. I also had times when I dressed completely in blue, red or pink.
Colour has a communicative power and a positive message in my personality that I try to reflect in my work.
I have always been passionate about painting. I liked to "play at painting", something that most of my friends didn't understand. The first memory that marked me was with my maternal grandmother, who every summer painted all the flowerpots in the garden. It was a magical experience to see how colour could transform the environment.
What do you find most satisfying about your work, and is there anything you are particularly proud of?
I especially like the works I make with wood collage. They are woods that I recycle, because I find them in the forest, in the street or from a carpenter who lets me collect the leftovers of his work. It is a special way of giving a second life to these leftovers and transforming them into art.
A work representing these collages was recently exhibited in Switzerland and is called "Troballes". In Catalan, "troballes" is the plural of "troballa" which means "finding" or "discovery". It comes from the verb "trobar", which means "to find".
The wooden pieces that make up the work are a summary of these encounters with the material and I fit them together as if it were a game of tetris. "Troballes" is about transforming the ordinary into something meaningful.
What is your creative process like, what are your sources of inspiration, any particular music while working?
My creative process starts with the choice of the colour range, which is one of the most important moments and depends on how I feel and what I want to convey. I give it the utmost importance and it is one of the most exciting moments for me.
My dose of inspiration is everywhere, on the street, in museums, etc. But there is one place I visit every week: a second-hand market in Barcelona, "Els Encants" near the Disseny Dhub museum. This place allows me to see the amount of objects created by human beings, from all over the world and from all periods. It is very interesting to observe each stop, full of a thousand unconnected objects, and many of them are forgotten objects waiting for a second chance. From there I buy many that I then use in my works and photographs, it is a way of recycling and consuming in a more responsible way.
Music accompanies me when I work, always upbeat rhythms that make me dance.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order! ;D
Is your home a reflection of who you are? Tell us what it smells like, your favourite corner, your favourite decorative object or piece of furniture, if you treasure a collection... And if you have a pet, introduce it to us!
My studio, where I work, is really the reflection of who I am. My favourite corner is my bookshelf where I display some of my works and peculiar objects that I keep.
I have a mould of a denture that fascinates me and the painting I made when I was three years old, "The Lord of the Balloons".
My favourite piece of furniture is a stool that I have a special affection for. It is designed by Curro Claret in collaboration with the Arrels Foundation. The piece is made by members of Arrels Barcelona, people who have been on the street and are at risk of social exclusion. The intention is to involve the participants in the creation process, offering an opportunity to help in their recovery.
My space smells like a mixture of paint and wood, although I usually light a candle with a vanilla scent, I like sweet smells.
I don't have a pet, 🙁
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
I would buy the Wilkinson & Rivera Dining Windsor Chair.
A great plan at home always includes...
Friends, a good meal, and long after-dinner conversation.
Do you have a signature dish?
I love a good seafood rice dish.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
My favourite place in Barcelona is the "Els Encants" market, I love it, I go there every Saturday.
I really liked El Moderna Musset in Stockholm which I visited this summer.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
I always like to refer to Hilma af Klint /(1862- 1944), Swedish painter and the true pioneer of abstract art. The one who should share space in art books with Kandisnky... She made her living with figurative art, landscapes and portraits. But she began to paint some symbolic paintings, with abstract geometries, etc. This was not understood at the time and she was rejected by the galleries she visited. Finally she kept that work and said that it could only be shown 20 years after her death. She is an example for me, because of her experience, her work and her history as a woman in art.
