I met José Manuel Ciria nearly fourteen years ago. I first exhibited him in the Spring of 2007 and this exhibition marks our fourth collaboration at the gallery.

Ciria is one of Spain’s pre-eminent non-objective painters. He has exhibited extensively in both public and private institutions. This exhibition titled: “A Beautiful Day with a Small Storm” was created in Toronto. It is comprised of several large and medium format paintings. The works are full of Ciria’s explosive creative energy. He is a large man, not just in stature, but also in character and personality.

This last month has given me a unique opportunity to watch Ciria execute this impressive group of paintings. The creative process is mysterious. It is a discipline the artist hones throughout his career. Ciria at 59 is in full flight and watching a blank canvas evolve into a resolved aesthetic object over time is both inspiring and edifying. (Cutts Gallery press-release)