Review of the exhibit by Hector López (translated into English by Enrique Lafuente)

When we look at water paintings by Santiago Ríos, who could be said to have put up here his first notable individual exhibition, we discover a particular style which we believe will eventually become instantly recognizable. The author uses intense and solid tones, in a way that he avoids the easy and insubstantial resources afforded by water colours, so sensitive and at times decorative, in order to show the viewer forceful shapes, with sharp and deeply felt elements, whose depth and complexity are not the sign of an inexperienced artist, but of one who has been pondering these technical problems for a long time. In fact, his “walks around the Pyrenees” do not only qualify him as a good expert in this environment, but also reveal an affection and attention to details which makes up for other aspects. We therefore see the same landscapes at different seasons or even from different perspectives.

When it comes to coping with a location, Santiago Ríos prefers a high level of freedom, an absence of classicist precepts which bring about his aforementioned personal style. So much so that an excessive approximation to the landscape and the absence of decipherable points of reference bring a couple of his paintings close to abstract art, possibly as a way to give prominence to the meteorology (“it was raining”) or simply because that’s how the author translated it in his mind. He shuns mere representation and he is caught up in every one of his scenes, in every one of his actions.

It is an interesting and promising display. We may discover some minor technical problems, like for example when white tones are dominant, but we will definitely find that is able to neatly convey his deep love for the land and his rigorous approach to the work, with no aspirations other than showing others a particular place with the same love and devotion he feels himself.