Bertina Lopes: color and applied materials
Bright reds and yellows meet broad areas of black against the pale surface of the card. Paint gathers into dense passages, extends into drips and leaves areas of the support exposed. These contrasts give the vertical composition a lively sense of movement. Metal washers introduce clearly defined circles, while threadlike elements form a dense network at the center. Their raised surfaces create shadows and reflections, adding another dimension to the painted image. The work brings together the freedom of the painted gesture and the distinct shapes of everyday objects.
Signature and dedication
The work is signed Bertina and dated 2001 at the lower right. This reverse bears the title and a dedication dated Rome, September 29, 2001. The question in the title invites reflection on one’s own path. Its relationship with the composition’s intersecting lines is an interpretation of the work, rather than a documented statement by the artist.
Bertina Lopes, from Mozambique to Rome
Born in 1924 in present-day Maputo, Bertina Lopes developed a practice shaped by encounters between Mozambican culture and European artistic languages. She settled in Rome in 1964 and died there in 2012. In 2023, Rome’s Museo delle Civiltà dedicated an exhibition to her home and studio.
This work comes from a private collection and is available through Egidi MadeinItaly. Contact us for further information about its condition, documentation and shipping.
En 2023, le Museo delle Civiltà de Rome a consacré une exposition à la maison-atelier de Bertina Lopes, explorant les liens entre sa vie et sa création artistique.
→ Découvrez l’exposition consacrée à Bertina Lopes
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