One Year - Scenes in Time

Opera Gallery Seoul

10 July - 20 October 2026

One Year – Scenes in Time at the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum from 10 July - 20 October 2026 marks an important moment in the practice of Spanish painter Xevi Solà (b. 1969). Known for his intuitive and painterly approach to figuration, Solà explores the limits of what can be perceived at first glance, creating works that remain open, shifting, and psychologically resonant. His paintings—often drawn from found imagery such as fashion photography, film stills, and archival sources—are not reproductions, but reimagined scenes filtered through instinct, memory, and emotion.

Trained at the University of Barcelona and now based in Girona, Solà belongs to a lineage of artists who privilege essence over exact likeness. Working quickly and instinctively, he embraces spontaneity in order to keep painting “alive,” allowing gesture, colour, and composition to guide the image as much as conscious intention.

This exhibition reflects a focused direction in his work. Bringing together a sequence of interconnected scenes, One Year – Scenes in Time proposes painting as a continuous space in which time unfolds. The exhibition also marks a return to landscape following a period in which Solà concentrated more closely on the human figure. Figures and landscapes emerge with a quiet intensity, their narratives deliberately unresolved, inviting the viewer into a space of interpretation and reflection. Interested in suggestion rather than explanation, Solà constructs scenes that remain open-ended. This restraint and openness offer insight into his evolving practice and his ongoing exploration of contemporary figuration.

Seoul Arts Center, Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, Exhibition Hall 1, 2406 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06757
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 19pm