Oranje Library II Painting

When we come across Pedro Girão's artistic practice, we realize that we are in the presence of an eclectic artist. This can be seen when we see his works of painting, sculpture, drawing or engraving. When looking at his work, we are confronted with a variety of languages and forms, which reveal to us an artistic universe that unfolds between figuration and the abstract, what is organic and geometric, between the rigor of order and the apparent chaos of a dynamic gestualism. But not only. The diversity of materials he uses, oil paint, acrylic, household paint, stainless steel, iron, copper or plaster, reveal in an unshakable and unequivocal way his belief that there is a specific and individual approach, both from a formal and technical perspective, for each new topic he decides to address. This principle can be translated into the phrase “The subject calls for the medium”. Each new series of works implies a return to zero point. Nothing is taken for granted. Faced with a new idea, the challenge of finding the “right” formal language that best translates his vision into an image that for now only exists in his mind, is the stimulus that feeds his creative drive. This series of paintings has to do with my long passion for literature and the book as an object. I’m particularly driven by the formal aspect of the work as a whole, and composition is the key in achieving an image that’s both balanced and harmonious. Composition, texture and strong background colour are the main elements that define this series.