During my last stay in Barcelona, I had the opportunity to meet Carla Cascales Alimbau, an internationally renowned artist, whose work blends abstract and architectural forms, nature, and minimalism into beautiful works of art. I discovered her early pieces in 2016 and was immediately intrigued by her creations.
We visited Carla in her studio, chatted with her about her work, and met an authentic, passionate, open, and inspiring personality who lives and loves what she does – and you can feel it.
It was our last day in Barcelona and we drove through the city in our rented car. It was warm and the sun was shining. The mood was relaxed. Her studio is in the north of the city and we were coming from the south. That’s why we left way too early and of course, arrived way too early. The Germans and their punctuality. Through the slightly transparent curtains, we saw a shadow flitting through the studio. That must be her. We knocked.
Photo © Carla Cascales Alimbau
A studio with an inspiring atmosphere
Carla opens the door for us. The atmosphere in her studio was relaxed, the light shines softly through the curtains and casts beautiful shadows on her work. She is convinced that “…the atmosphere of a room you are in influences your mood”, she tells us. That’s why she loves this quiet, minimalist space, which she shares with her sister, renowned pianist Marta Cascales Alimbau.
Carla looks relaxed. She tells us that she just returned from the Venice Biennale last night. She walks us through her studio, pointing out some of her works, including round marble sculptures with gold joints. This series of kintsugi on marble and granite “…explores the idea of imperfection”, she says. Anchoring her work in the Japanese values of natural process and the beauty of age, she “highlights the scars of use and time as symbols of life and learning.”
Creating art is her passion, you can see and feel it. Carla almost seems like a work of art herself. How she gently touches her creations, looks at them, and talks about them. She becomes one with her work. Very inspiring.
Impressed by the serene atmosphere in her studio, our eyes always linger on the paintings from the series “Mediterranean waves” – beautiful, subtle, and minimalist works. Inspired by the sea and the gentle waves, how they are constantly in motion and change. An inspiration for her „ … because we humans are also under constant change and movement.“
I tell her that I discovered her work in 2016 and find it impressive how she has always evolved her work since then, but still maintained a distinctive style. She laughs. “I would love to delete these works”. Of course, this is just a joke, and she becomes more serious: “No, of course not. Everything is a process, an evolution. I have my style, even if I want to be a little more experimental in my future works.”
The necessity of new Beginnings
She’s referring to her latest works: A painting made of copper, which she is working on with fire, and a sculptural candle, which she plans to light and burn during her upcoming exhibition in Palma.
We talk about the magic and the necessity of new beginnings. The sense of possibility, the feeling that anything is possible. It’s a time when we put the past behind us and set out into the world with hope in our hearts. For many of us, new beginnings are a necessary part of life. They remind us that we always have the power to shape our own paths.
Photo © Carla Cascales Alimbau
Unfortunately, our time was limited that day and we had to go to the airport to catch our flight back to Berlin. If you have the chance to see one of her exhibitions, go for it! Her art is definitely worth checking out in person. I am very much looking forward to meeting Carla and her art again some time.
