New Work | Alonso Durán

Alonso Durán's Metallic Turn: Mathematics Meets Material in New Copper Foil Painting

Mathematical Precision, Material Luminosity

Alonso Durán's latest paintings arrive with a shimmer. The Costa Rican artist, whose abstract works have long been anchored in mathematical formulas and topological principles, has previously introduced gold and silver foil into his practice—materials that transform his characteristic flowing forms into surfaces that shift and catch light with every viewing angle.

Alonso Durán, Figura de Lissajous VII, Acrylic and Copper Foil

The Figura de Lissajous series marks this material evolution. Named after the mathematical curves that describe complex harmonic motion, these paintings feature ribbon-like forms that loop and interweave across the canvas. But where Durán's previous work relied on colour and brushwork, these new pieces incorporate copper foil that gives his geometric abstractions an almost sculptural presence.

"In general my shapes and forms represent surfaces in space," Durán explains, "then the metal finishing enhance the volume and solidity." The artist describes how the metallic elements create an active relationship with light: "Even though it's flat, the light reflects on them and makes them change depending on the angle you look at it."

A Return to Metallic Materials

This isn't Durán's first encounter with precious metals. Previously, while working on a series inspired by Buddhist philosophy—particularly the Dalai Lama's writings on the relationship between Buddhist thought, science and physics—he first incorporated gold and silver leaf into his paintings. "There are surprising similarities between the two subjects," he notes, referring to the convergence of spiritual and scientific thinking that informed that earlier body of work. "In that moment the use of these metallic layers was very appropriate and I fell in love with the results."

Copper, however, represents new territory. The warmer metal brings different qualities to his compositions, particularly in how it interacts with his established palette of earthy tones punctuated by bold colour. In the Figura de Lissajous new copper foil painting, the copper creates areas of burnished warmth that anchor the undulating forms, while in Figuras Entrelazados—a larger work at 77 x 101.5 cm—gold and silver foil alternate across interlocking ribbons, creating distinct zones of cool and warm metallic light.

Alonso Durán, Figura de Lissajous VIII, Acrylic and Copper Foil

Engineering Vision

Durán's approach to painting is fundamentally influenced by his dual training in fine art and engineering. This balance brings a rigorous understanding of mathematical principles to his canvases, using formulas to generate the geometric foundations that underpin his work. Yet these technical origins dissolve into something more intuitive and expressive in the finished paintings.

At the core of Durán's work lies a fascination with chaos and the underlying order concealed within. His engagement with topology—the branch of mathematics concerned with properties that remain unchanged under continuous deformation—allows him to explore how forms can twist and transform while maintaining their essential mathematical relationships.

The artist describes his process in almost cosmological terms: "I'm trying to visually represent the fact there are a million possibilities happening all at the same time. It is the universe." This ambition—to capture simultaneous states of being—finds its material correlative in the metallic surfaces, which literally present multiple visual states depending on the viewer's position.

Alonso Durán, Figuras Entrelazadas, Acrylic and Gold and Silver Foil

Material as Method | Copper Foil Painting

The introduction of copper and precious metals represents an experimental direction that Durán is actively exploring. "I am trying to explore more about these materials and see how they interact with the paint," he says, positioning these recent works as part of an ongoing investigation.

This exploratory stance aligns with his established practice of treating each painting as what he calls "a unique language, a snapshot of a moment in time that will continue to move." The metallic elements add another dimension to this temporal quality—the paintings literally appear different as lighting shifts or as viewers move through space.

Durán has exhibited extensively across Costa Rica, including recent shows at Talentum Gallery in San José, the Cartago Municipal Museum and Liberia's Hidden Garden Art Gallery. His work has also been presented internationally in the USA and Latin American countries, including Panama and Mexico.