María José García-Pelayo, the mayor of Jerez, attended the inauguration of the 'Sagrada' painting exhibition by Ricardo Gil at Los Claustros de Santo Domingo. This collection consists of 23 oil on canvas works that offer an intimate and symbolic perspective on the devotion associated with the Rocío pilgrimage.
Also present at the opening were Joaquín Vallejo Cabrera, the Brother Mayor of Rocío, several members of the Board of the Brotherhood, and the artist himself. The mayor congratulated Ricardo Gil for his work and commended the Brotherhood of Rocío in Jerez for hosting the exhibition.
García-Pelayo highlighted the artistic talent of the creator, who evokes past times in this exhibition by reinterpreting old photographs, portraits of devotees of the Virgin, and everyday moments. Anonymous instances and gestures are presented as metaphors of the past, heritage, and tradition.
The mayor also emphasised the importance of the city's cultural agenda and the programming of municipal cultural spaces, advocating for the value of dialogue between tradition and contemporary interpretation. The works in this exhibition feature a blend of naturalistic painting techniques, a predominantly black and white palette, and an intense yellow that signifies elements associated with the divine.
The concept of the exhibition is rooted in the visual memory of Almonte, intergenerational transmission, the prominence of the community and its elders, popular devotion, the emotional landscape of the pilgrimages, and the representation of the Virgin of Rocío.
Ricardo Gil Lozano, born in Sevilla in 1996, is a graduate in Fine Arts from the University of Seville. He develops figurative works using oil and mixed techniques, with a notable focus on sacred painting and artistic posters.
The 'Sagrada' exhibition can be visited until 21 November at the gallery on the first floor of Los Claustros de Santo Domingo, from Tuesday to Friday between 10:30 and 13:30, and 18:00 to 21:00. It will be open on Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:45. The exhibition will be closed to the public on Sundays, holidays, and Mondays.
