Lover's Leap 1985

Abdul Mati Klarwein created this visionary landscape, Lover’s Leap, using a rich, earthy palette of reds, oranges, and browns. I imagine him building up this craggy terrain with small brushstrokes, almost like the landscape itself was emerging from the canvas. The rockface looms with such texture and detail. You can almost feel the weight of the rock, its permanence and history. There's a strange surrealism in the work, something of Ernst or Tanguy but the colors are all Klarwein's own. What does the title "Lover's Leap" mean here? Is it the void between the rocks, or the dramatic promontory with its little flight of steps? Klarwein's work always felt like a bridge between the subconscious and waking life, where symbolism and narrative blend into a single, powerful image. He's in conversation with all of art history here: from the old masters to his contemporaries, each adding their own mark to the ongoing story of painting. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about what we see, but about how we feel, interpret, and connect with the world around us.