Texture and materiality in contemporary art refer to the physical qualities of a work's surface and the materials used, elements that go beyond mere decorative function. Texture can be visual or tactile, offering the viewer a sense of depth, movement, or even provoking an emotional reaction. For example, in Vincent van Gogh's works, the coarse texture of the paint adds an extra energetic and emotional dimension, suggesting intense psychological states. In contemporary art, materiality also becomes a message in itself. Artists like Anselm Kiefer use materials such as lead, ash, or straws to express themes of memory and destruction, creating a dialogue between object and meaning. Thus, materiality is not just the physical support of a work, but a direct extension of the message the artist wants to convey.

An example of this is Ion Iancuț’s art, which brings a unique materiality to his sculptures through suggested details and formed reliefs. The tensions created are formed between ragility and strength, but also symbolically between the actual weight of the materials used and the forms evoked. The hardness of the materials, such as bronze, resonates with the induced human emotions. The textures formed through processing, cutting, or polishing suggest both movement and, at the same time, restlessness. A similar effect also appears in his paintings, which may have varying thicknesses of paint, placing Ion Iancuț within the tradition of expressive materiality, where materials become metaphors for heavy themes like suffering or collective memory.

A special case is Daniela Grapă, internationally awarded and nominated for her creations, with over 5 years of presence on the international art scene. Daniela Grapă’s works have a refined approach to texture, with her pieces being deeply introspective, revealing complex emotions. In works like Imago Mundi or State of Mind, the artist explores the subtleties of colors and textures, creating a dialogue between the organic and the abstract. What often surprises viewers of her works is the life that texture gains within the compositions. It becomes a narrative element, a portal to her conceptual universe. In Self-Portrait, the pictorial surface is fragmented and textured, reflecting a possible disorder accentuated by the conflict between linear order and the fluidity expressed through thick strokes in strongly contrasting colours. In her visual discourse, we can read a beautiful fusion of classical and modern art, Daniela Grapă’s relevance and importance being demonstrated through the multiple levels of interpretation, which go beyond conventional aspects. The artist thus offers a unique vision that attracts our own inherently subjective experiences, opening the path to a complex inner dialogue.

After this short journey, we can see how texture and materiality represent essential elements in contemporary art, not just as techniques but as expressive languages in themselves. From the series of WIN Gallery artists, Ion Iancuț and Daniela Grapă are just two examples who use these compositional elements in different forms, surpassing the visual in the direction of emotional synesthesia that challenges tactile aspects. It is a redefinition of the limits of traditional perception, where the viewer is invited to a profound interaction with the works of art.

Ph.D. Researcher Andrei FĂȘIE