Playa del Ingles Health Club: Kumo Ki

Roland Schwarz alias "Kumoki" has been painting and sketching since the end of the 1970s. In a protected environment and with the mutability of a chameleon, he finally has found resonance in the subjects and technical challenges which have inspired him without orientate itsself on fashion or preconception. Moreover through diversity, he has found the middle ground and his proper sense of direction. This diversity is reflected in soft hangings in pastel and crayon, large canvasses, abstract pieces with extravagant colour composition, as well as sensitive portraits and nude studies. With his dadaistic collages and surreal and symbolic oils and flower paintings the artist appears to interpret the very essence and geometric secrets of the blooms in his garden. Gran Canaria, the island of eternal spring seems to be the ideal place. The freelancer Kumoki has lived there since 1997 and has experienced huge inspiration and resonance to his artistic style. The human form has and still does remain the main focus of his work, especially the male body and eroticism between males. The almost strikingly lustful oil paintings in arresting single colours project and emphasise those naked bodies. Each picture is represented in a single colour which the artist can vary at will. Equipped with an arsenal of brushes and other things he produces his characteristic paintings. He works in oil and with (aplenty!) oil, as this gives him the option of a more protracted, as it were wet within wet , technique. In spite of this, he is well aware beforehand what he wants from the canvass. As sometimes incorporating very soft colour tones, the picture then appears to float down, as the painter intended. As if each little particle of pigment is set very precisely. And painting over is most certainly out of the question! Kumoki strives to find the formula for eternal beauty. The monochrome style of the paintings serves to aesthetically distance the viewer from the nakedness therein represented. An eagerness develops combining serenity and eroticism. With his ErotiXX series of paintings, Kumoki has achieved and still today attains popularity all over Europe. The huge recognition effect of his work, as well as many Europe-wide exhibitions and activities have also greatly contributed to his success. The list of his international exhibitions is heavy. The "Pride-Art" exhibition in Oslo, via Kristiansand, Paris, the south of France, Cologne, Constance, various locations in Switzerland and of course in Gran Canaria, to name but a few. Everywhere one knows and recognises his art style. "...Imagine that Tom of Finland and Peter Paul Rubens could meet on the web, a similar thing would happen..." was put in the paper.