THE VEIL THAT VEILS THE MOON

“'THE VEIL THAT VEILS THE MOON' IS A RECONSTRUCTION OF R. D. LAING’S IDEA THAT 'WE ARE THE VEIL THAT VEILS US FROM OURSELVES'. THE MOON IS AN EVER PRESENT SYMBOL IN MY WORK. IT’S ALMOST A SIGNATURE, IT HOLDS THE SYMBOLIC AND EMOTIONAL CHARGE I ASSOCIATE WITH THE IMAGES I CREATE. IN A WAY IT’S ME, AS THE OBSERVER OF MY OWN IMAGINATION. I’M BOTH HIDDEN AND REVEALED BY MY PAINTINGS. I’M REVEALED TO MYSELF AND HIDDEN FROM OTHERS BY MEANS OF SYMBOLISM AND METAPHORIC IMAGERY. THEY ARE THE VEIL THAT VEILS ME."

Mafalda Figueiredo is a Portuguese artist based in London who works predominantly in oils on paper and canvas. Her paintings are deeply autobiographical in nature, depicting fierce women in brightly coloured landscapes sharing sometimes tender, sometimes defiant moments. Her characters, often reminiscent of the stances seen in Renaissance paintings, are caught off guard sharing intimate moments, as they stare out of the canvas to the viewer, making us complicit in their narrative. The watched becomes the watcher. The position of voyeur is constantly in flux, as her characters and the viewer jostle for the title of the object.

Loose brushstrokes are full of movement and colour, coupled with incredible precision and detail as scenes are built around these characters, giving her works a burst of energy, while building the narrative and characters to a crescendo moment.
‘The Veil That Veils The Moon’ is a digital solo exhibition of 3 original artworks by Figueiredo, running for just 3 weeks. A new artwork will be released each week, accompanied by text and detail images, to encourage a slower and more comprehensive look at the artworks. The exhibition invites collectors to get intimate and build a personal connection with the artwork before purchase.