On February 13, Circle Culture Gallery in Berlin opened a solo exhibition of the emerging Spanish artist Enrich R.. Under the title “Abstract Problems”, the show presents more than 14 works that are characterized by their reduced formal language and tactile materiality. Alongside large-scale paintings, four small-format works – shown for the first time – captivate with their sculptural presence. I visited the exhibition and spoke with the artist about his latest works.
Enrich R. (b. 2001) is part of a rising generation of young artists who reinterpret minimalist aesthetics in a captivating way. Growing up in Igualada, a small town about 60 kilometers west of Barcelona, his art is deeply intertwined with the unique landscape and history of his homeland. Once a vibrant center of the leather and textile industry, today empty factories bear witness to Igualada’s past heyday.
This interplay of industry and nature left a lasting impression on the artist – he recalls: “I grew up in an industrial neighborhood full of old factories, as if time had stopped 100 years ago. Having my studio in a factory made me discover new ways of painting, where I found abstract.” These impressions eventually became the foundation of his artistic identity.
This profound connection to his surroundings is clearly visible in his art, especially in four small-format works, which he is showing for the first time in an exhibition. The starting point for this series was the chance discovery of a weathered cover from a beehive, which he found during a walk in nature: “I found one of these covers lying lost in the middle of a path. The format was so interesting, it was almost ready to be hung on the wall,” the artist tells me. He took the object back to his studio and began experimenting with it.
The interplay between color and material convinced him, leading him to work on additional covers. The resulting works are impressive testimonies to an intensive dialogue between the artist and the material. The surface, which reveals its unique nature when viewed up close, is marked by fine lines, cracks, and irregularities that tell the story of the object’s origin and history (see images below).
In subtle color variations ranging from warm tones to saturated black, it was important to the artist to arrange several paintings side by side to, as he describes, “find a rhythm in relation to the colors.” Additionally, these works provided the young artist with a personal opportunity to work on a smaller scale: “I always like to work in large formats, but this was the perfect excuse to work on smaller pieces that fit to who I am, how I think, and what I see in my work.”
I always like to work in large formats, but this was the perfect excuse to work on smaller pieces that fit to who I am, how I think, and what I see in my work.
Enrich R. about his small-format series
Not only his surroundings, but also artists like Mark Rothko, Lee Ufan, or Catalan artists such as Hernández Pijuan or Antoni Tàpies shaped his approach to form, color, and materiality. Nevertheless, Enrich R. succeeds in translating these influences into a distinctive, unique visual language, merging them into a harmonious unity. The artist has been exhibiting his art since 2020 and has made an impressive rise since then. Space and time play a central role – concepts that become visible in the subtle cracks and traces on the surface of the canvas.
Another work that captivated me in the exhibition is “Ramar 2” (see photo below). The large-format painting in the front area of the gallery fascinates with its textured, deep green-blue surface. The canvas bears visible traces of an intense creative process – scratches, sanding marks, and fine cracks reveal underlying layers of color and lend the work a tactile depth. It seems as though the artist seeks to engage in a dialogue with the canvas, almost as if the process of creation is just as significant as the outcome. The fine lines that run across the surface impart a subtle tension to the painting, creating a remarkable balance between control and chance.
It is this balance that runs like a common thread through the exhibition, inviting the viewer to engage in a quiet, almost meditative exploration of Enrich R.’s paintings. These contemplative works evoke a longing for stillness and slowness while simultaneously documenting an intensive engagement with the material. As I wander through the rooms of the gallery, it becomes clear how much the creative process itself – with all its challenges, doubts and spontaneous decisions – is at the heart of Enrich R.’s work.
Colors, textures and memories serve the artist as a basis for constantly finding new approaches while painting and reacting to them instinctively. The title of the exhibition “Abstract Problems” perfectly encapsulates this dynamic: painting as a kind of negotiation between conscious control and the freedom to allow the unknown. With his unique aesthetic approach, Enrich R. proves that minimalist art goes far beyond what meets the eye. It is an invitation – to take the time to look closely and immerse oneself in the subtle details of the works.
The exhibition “Abstract Problems”, curated by Johann Alexis von Haehling, is on view at the Circle Culture Gallery in Berlin until May 31, 2025.
More impressions from the show
