Xevi Solà, Street I, 2026
09 June 2026
Spanish painter Xevi Solà has developed a distinctive figurative language that balances psychological depth with a cinematic sense of narrative. Solà draws inspiration from photography, film, American popular culture and everyday social interactions. His paintings often transform found imagery into emotionally charged scenes that exist somewhere between reality and fiction, inviting visitors to imagine the stories unfolding beyond the frame. Since joining Opera Gallery’s roster of represented artists in October 2025, his practice has continued to evolve, expanding from intimate portraits and isolated figures towards increasingly ambitious compositions that explore the relationship between individuals and their surroundings.
This evolution can be traced through his exhibitions with Opera Gallery. In his 2024 Geneva exhibition, Solà focused on enigmatic figures suspended in moments of quiet introspection. By the time of ‘Social Landscape’ in Miami, his characters had begun to occupy more complex environments shaped by references to cinema, American culture and suburban life, while retaining an undercurrent of psychological tension. In ‘Endless Sun-days’, presented in New York, Solà introduced larger group scenes populated by sun-seekers and friends gathered in shared spaces. While these works maintained the subtle absurdity and ambiguity characteristic of his earlier paintings, they adopted a lighter, more optimistic atmosphere, replacing feelings of isolation with a sense of collective experience.
This progression culminates in Street I, a monumental work composed of four connected canvases. Stretching across the seasons, the painting presents a suburban street that unfolds as a continuous landscape. Distinct figures inhabit each section, dressed appropriately for changing weather conditions, yet the composition suggests that they could effortlessly move from one canvas to the next. Solà reinforces this continuity through recurring architectural and natural elements: houses extend across the composition, while branches from a tree reach between panels, linking one season to another as foliage transforms.
The passage of time is marked through subtle environmental changes. In the first half of the work, lush green lawns are animated by functioning sprinklers, evoking the vitality of spring and summer. As the viewer’s gaze moves across the composition, the scene shifts towards autumnal tones, with golden leaves replacing the vibrant greenery. This cyclical transformation underscores the artist’s reflection on time’s quiet movement and nature’s persistence.
Echoing Solà’s fascination with American youth culture, cinema and suburban life, the work recalls the atmosphere of an isolated cul-de-sac in suburban America. Yet beyond its setting, the painting becomes a meditation on continuity and change. As Solà notes, the scene presents “a street with people, gazes, intentions”, where stories may or may not unfold, and where the true protagonist is the passing of time itself.
