Very early in the human history, clay materials were adopted as pigments. These mineral-rich compounds were appreciated for curative and purifying purposes, but also provided red-yellow-brown paints and dyes for rock-art paintings, pottery, wall paintings and cave arts, and human tattoos. Following a thread that connect us with this raw, primal artistic instinct, we teamed up with long-time friend and super talented artist Albert Riera Galcerán for a very special action: The Masked Portraits series. A project made al fresco.

We had everything ready for the performance. A dreamy Mediterranean villa with an orchard would work as the artist’s studio. A series of portraits of some of our friends would be his canvas. And our range of raw clays and plant-based powders to be used as pigments. He would only need his brushes and some fresh water to recreate the effect of ROWSE’s raw powders on the skin applying them on a series of photographic portraits. Shades of brown, deep greens, a very bright and warm white, and a totally unexpected soft blue came out in the palette. How does a canvas react to earth and plant-based pigments? How does skin respond to these soothing water-colours? Faces come to life.