Camins de Ronda

Camins de Ronda is a comprehensive title that aptly captures the essence of this exhibition. It presents the new body of work by Belgian artist Marleen Van Duyse, who has made her home in northeastern Spain, Catalonia, over the past three years.

The Camins de Ronda, the historic coastal paths of the rugged Costa Brava, lead visitors through idyllic landscapes and breathtaking vistas. A world of light and blue hues, shaped by wind and sun. A mesmerizing spectacle of color at sunrise, serene and romantic during the magical evening hours. Rugged rock formations, unspoiled nature, and around every bend a new discovery: the powerful Tramontana wind, dazzling reflections dancing across the water, shimmering light and movement. A landscape alive with color, fragrance, and energy.

It is here that Marleen found both the inspiration and the challenges that profoundly influence her artistic practice.

Like a musical score carrying rhythm and melody, her paintings contain the undulating lines of the sea, the twilight tones of the landscape, the rusty pink shades of the rocky coast, the currents of the wind, azure-blue seascapes along the Camins de Ronda, underwater scenes, and botanical elements.

Yet these works are more than mere interpretations of nature. They reflect an inner process of transformation: memories of the past, trials and tribulations, sorrow and pain, reflection, and release.

When the path is reversed, another journey emerges. A path that symbolizes elevation, the search for fulfillment, dreams, enlightenment, creativity, and perhaps even the hereafter. A journey that embraces the unexpected.

At the same time, this path represents the differences and obstacles encountered along the way: barriers that seem to stand in the future’s path, the fear of the unknown, the projections we place upon life, and the setbacks that inevitably accompany it. Yet throughout, there remains a sense of hope.

The paintings are immersed in color and texture. They are at once dynamic and gentle, powerful and calming, vibrant and contemplative.

Camins de Ronda is a meditation, a journey, a detour that opens new horizons. Marleen