For Emy n.1

Painted in 2012, For Emy n.1 It is the first work in the series of the same name, comprising four large panels, and represents one of the most significant moments in the calligraphic exploration developed by Kende during the transition from urban experience to studio practice.

With its monumental scale, the work transforms the typical gesture of graffiti into a large-scale pictorial composition, where writing, rhythm and material coexist within a complex and dynamic visual structure. The calligraphic forms spread across the surface like architectural elements, creating a composition in which the mark is no longer merely language, but form, movement and space.

The surface is built up through successive layers, glazes, erasures and gestural interventions that evoke the depth and complexity typical of urban walls layered by time. Each layer retains the memory of the one before it, creating a constant tension between presence and absence, control and spontaneity.

As the first panel in the series, For Emy n.1 introduces many of the themes that will be explored in his later works: the transformation of urban calligraphy into a contemporary pictorial language, the interplay between gesture and structure, and the search for a balance between instinctive energy and compositional construction.

The work is part of a series of four large panels now held in private collections, and is regarded as one of the most representative examples of Kende’s output from the early years of his career as a contemporary artist.

TITLE: For Emy n.1
YEAR: 2012
TECHNIQUE: Mixed media on wood
WIDTH: 218 cm
HEIGHT: 218 cm
THICKNESS: 8 cm
CATALOGUE: FE112
ORIGINAL: Not available
PRINTS: Available