Cartografías de la soledad is a series of scenes inhabited by people immersed in moments of solitude, often within intimate or private spaces.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I became fascinated by imagining these quiet moments: people resting, daydreaming, reading, playing, enjoying themselves, or simply inhabiting a space of comfort and well-being. Although the figures may appear to be alone, their solitude doesn´t necessarily imply loneliness; instead, it becomes a space for leisure, pleasure and contemplation.

The series emerged from the particular experience of being confined indoors, when many of the ordinary experiences of being outside, walking, gathering, travelling, playing, or simply spending time, became distant desires. I began to imagine these scenes as small windows into possible worlds, populated by people who seemed to experience the freedom and enjoyment that I was missing. Looking back, I see the series as a reflection of dreams and needs that were intensified by the pandemic, but also as a form of refuge. Through painting, I could invent spaces beyond confinement and, by doing so, I shared those imagined worlds with others.

The use of gouache on paper became essential to this exploration. I am particularly drawn to its deep, matte tones and its distinctive opacity, qualities that allowed me to construct intimate scenes through pastel colors, soft surfaces, and luminous contrasts. The material itself contributes to the sense of these images as imagined spaces, somewhere between memory and fantasy.

The title Cartografías de la soledad refers to these private spaces that I might never have entered, but that I imagined observing from a distance. If I had binoculars and happened to see these people from my window, I would not stop looking. They make me curious, not only because of who they are, but because of the worlds they inhabit.

Cartographies of Solitude

Series of gouache paintings on paper