El lápiz, las coordenadas y el mar – Manolo Sierra

“Pencil on paper is the preferred technique in this exhibition. The apparent simplicity of this method has captivated me for years. Graphite may be the second or third oldest mineral in the Universe. [The term graphite derives from the Greek γράφειν (graphein), meaning ‘to write’], and it is well known that graphite is mainly used to create the tips of pencils.

 In my work, writing is part of the origin of the pieces, like sketches, and in this line of work I have needed to place myself in the idea of origin. There is always a clear intention to capture moments, places, people, and things that are decisive in a vital moment. The pencil has allowed me a kind of review or reset of the situation. I have searched in my origin and looked at the present, charged with sea salt.

The exhibition is divided into two sections: some drawings are taken from the family album— grandparents, parents, uncles…—and others are drawn from life, showing people, landscapes, and places experienced, every day and close. Between origin, distance, and the present lies the search that beats in these drawings.”

– Manolo Sierra