Meeting Nuria Mora

When they disappear I encourage myself to continue painting new pieces.

Undulating pastel coils, vibrant geometric contours and sun-drenched designs; Nuria Mora’s murals provide an escape from the urban chaos that surrounds them. Mora encourages a cognitive escape for overworked minds, where her visual remedies gently soothe strained eyes and turbid thoughts. Through the city, Mora rewrites the disarray of modern life, enveloping urbanites in a chromatic hug, whilst re-connecting them to their communities and neighbourhood.

Your works are vibrant, captivating and possess a truly unparalleled cosmic energy. What is it about painting in public spaces that excites you?

What interests me about the public space is the dialogue with the landscape and architecture. Painting in the street in a furtive and spontaneous way, for me, is a political and social action. Through my murals, I invite the viewer to stop and think and just take a visual rest. It’s like a silent meditation that allows people to think and be with their owns thoughts. I try to provide a place of enjoyment and free reflection, whilst being more interrogative than affirmative.

What I like the most is to paint in a human and personal way in the city, working without commissions, intermediaries or for festivals, only with my own means and according to what interests me.

Does the ephemeral nature of painting in public ever dishearten you? How do you feel if your works are painted over, or damaged?

My background is linked to illegal, ephemeral and furtive painting, I live with its disappearance, it’s a part of its nature and a part of the game. When they disappear I encourage myself to continue painting new pieces.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced during your career as an artist? Has the size of your works ever posed a problem for you?

I have never had problems with scale, physical challenges and painting on a large scale has a special technique. Although it is difficult to paint at a height, there are scaffolds, cranes and techniques that allow you to do it. Each new wall is always a new challenge.

What I like the most is to paint in a human and personal way in the city, working without commissions, intermediaries or for festivals, only with my own means and according to what interests me. I investigate each place, walk around the city looking for new supports for my paintings; this is the most interesting part of my process.

What interests me about the public space is the dialogue with the landscape and architecture. Painting in the street in a furtive and spontaneous way, for me, is a political and social action.

You work in so many disciplines; sculpture, acrylic, watercolour and you even make rugs! What’s your favourite medium? Which allows you to express yourself most freely?

I work with a variety of disciplines because I am restless and curious. Each technique helps me to explore the different aspects of the same global work; they are different ways of telling the same story. Additionally, working in different disciplines enriches my work and my personal practice as an artist. Each technique creates a new starting point for the next work, and the most important part of my work is this set of linked processes.

Each technique helps me to explore the different aspects of the same global work; they are different ways of telling the same story.

Each new wall is always a new challenge.

What’s next on the agenda?

I just finished my last mural in Angers, France. I am currently working on a solo exhibition for “WE COLLECT” in London. In October, the Paddle8 office will be launched in New York City, where I will have done a project with mural paintings, sculptures and rugs for DAC.