“I definitely focus on how I am feeling because that energy will dictate how the painting will look. I have to connect with myself. Painting is a very honest act for me.”
— Cristina BanBan
Executed in 2020, in Cristina BanBan’s Estudio. Septiembre 2020 II, a meticulous combination of acrylic, soft pastel and colour pencil layer the composition in hues of tangerine, cream, and silvery sky-blue. First presented at BanBan’s major dual-New York gallery show,Cristina BanBan: Del Llanto, hosted by Albertz Benda and 1969 Gallery in 2021, this work marks the debut of the artist’s work at auction in Asia.
The present work (second from the left) exhibited at Albertz Benda, New York, Cristina BanBan: Del Llanto, 5 May - 12 June 2021
Image Courtesy of Albertz Benda
Harkening back to BanBan’s formative experimentations with acrylic, Estudio. Septiembre 2020 II stands out from the other works in the exhibition in that it is rendered in acrylic as opposed to oil. Loose, wide brushstrokes layer the background of the composition to set the scene, contrasting the more daintily applied details that fill the foreground and imbue a sense of narrative into the figurative piece. And yet, the medium is not the only factor that sets this work apart. While much of BanBan’s practice is focused on the female form, Estudio. Septiembre 2020 II is a particularly unique piece that depicts a studio scene featuring two paintings of a closely cropped woman’s face, propped up in the artist’s workspace.
In fact, the pair of square-formant canvases in Estudio. Septiembre 2020 II were also presented at the same 2021 show in New York, installed on the adjacent wall to the present work in the Albertz Benda space. Intimately immersing viewers into the inner workings of BanBan’s studio technique through the eyes of the artist herself, the composition beautifully reveals the effort and emotion that contributes to the creation of BanBan’s striking work.
Born and raised in Barcelona, BanBan graduated from the University of Barcelona in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Since then, her repertoire has been widely exhibited in both group and solo shows across Europe, North America, and Asia. Currently based in New York City, the artist is jointly represented by Skarstedt and Perrotin, and her most recent solo show was held at Perrotin in their Paris location between 19 March – 28 April 2022. BanBan recently set her personal auction record with Phillips London with the sale of El Sueño Va Sobre El Tiempo, executed in 2019, which achieved an impressive 138,600 GBP Premium (183,115 USD) against pre auction estimates of 15,000 - 20,000 GBP (19,817 - 26,423 USD).
Provenance
Albertz Benda, New York Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
New York, Albertz Benda, Cristina BanBan: Del Llanto, 5 May – 12 June 2021, p. 39 (illustrated)
signed with the artist's initials 'CB' lower right acrylic, soft pastel and colour pencil on paper 129.5 x 106.5 cm. (50 7/8 x 41 7/8 in.) Executed in 2020.