In 2007 the Dutch artist Karlijn Surminski moved from Amsterdam to Barcelona. To get to know her new hometown better, she started painting her surroundings. "I wanted to understand the city, to understand why it is the way it is." She discovered so many special stories that she made a painting of every Barcelona district, ten in total. The series can be seen in its entirety for the first time. From October 23, 2022, the ten works are exhibited in Restaurant Roots & Rolls in Barcelona.
It took Karlijn Surminski ten years to paint the city on the canvas. Not surprising, because Barcelona has an area of more than 100 km2. One by one, the artist visited the ten city districts and examined the history, culture and local architecture of each district. This resulted in a unique series of ten big, colourful works full of references to more or less distinctive buildings, stories and people in the city. "While painting, I researched not only the highlights of the city, but also the lesser-known parts of Barcelona," she says.
The paintings are made with acrylic paint, but Karlijn also uses paper, wallpaper and even curtain fabric. From Nou Barris to Les Corts-Pedralbes, the works are a feast of recognition for every Barcelonan and invite visitors to see the wonders of the city with their own eyes. Karlijn: “The series has become a tribute to Barcelona. The versatility, the colours, the stories, the inhabitants, the light, the shapes and structures: as a foreigner you see the city from a different point of view than the original inhabitants. You look with wonder and an open mind.”
From October 23, 2022, the entire series can be seen at Restaurant Roots & Rolls, C/Consell de Cent 401 (near metro Girona) in Barcelona. The exhibition will last until the end of January 2023.
More info: instagram @karlijnpainting
