Natalia López de la Oliva’s exhibition Lo Divino es el Impulso de la Lengua, held at Herrero de Tejada in Madrid, shows a raw display of the artist’s inner world. Roughly translating to ‘the divine is the driving force of language,’ the Spanish artist explores the depths of the self through a sarcastic lens, drawing attention to life’s absurdities. Her work exposes humanity’s darker emotions—hatred, anger, envy, despair—embracing a spirit of irreverence that defies pretentious artistic discourses. The confrontational feel of each canvas awakens emotional and visceral reactions. She forces us to reevaluate our priorities and acknowledge the agitated feelings that we ignore and suppress.

Installation view, Natalia López de la Oliva: ‘Lo Divino es el impulso de la Lengua’, 2024-25. Photo Courtesy: Herrero de Tejada.

Her work unfolds across two rooms in the gallery. Bright bold colours meet you at first glance, drawing you in to the myriad of gestures and layers of paint. The first room eases you in with large panels of blues and greens, introducing us to her work before launching us into the second room, dominated by a blazing hot palette of oranges, yellows, and reds. The creative process of each work is clearly visible on the canvas, with traces of paint being added, manipulated, and scraped down with turpentine. Colours are layered upon one another competing for centre stage. Bright, almost neon stretches slice through the earlier muted coats of paint, and gritty brushstrokes contrast with smooth expanses of colour. A closer look reveals a common figurative element in her work: hands—grotesque, expressive hands, reaching, grabbing, tearing, scratching, screaming, questioning, imploring. Their force is compelling, making it impossible to escape their hold.

Natalia López de la Oliva, *Encontraré la forma de que no sea tan somnoliennnnto*, 2024. Oil on canvas, 150 x 150 cm. Photo Courtesy: Herrero de Tejada.

There is a therapeutic aspect to Natalia’s work. Painting is her form of expression, the language through which she communicates her feelings and understands reality. The artist is compelled to create, driven by forces far greater than herself. This idea is inherent in the exhibition title which alludes to otherworldly influences—‘the divine’—being the underlying pulse of creative language. Painting is the artist’s hope for survival in the midst of this fast-paced world. Each artwork is a testament to her struggles, her deepest fears and anxieties become entangled with the fabric of the canvas. She even covers the back of her paintings with written reflections related to each piece. Such raw strength of emotion provides a cathartic experience for the viewer.

Verso, *No quería despertar a los que están durmiendo. DIPTICO*. Photo Courtesy: Lucía Alonso-Lasheras.

The title of the paintings capture the mood of each piece, showing the witty and ironic sense of humour of the artist. Her titles can be divided into critical observations, and sarcastic descriptions of the everyday. The first kind show anxieties, feelings of guilt and envy, as well as a general sense of boredom with the world. Titles such as No vas a impresionar a nadie, translating to “You are not going to impress anyone,” or Pffffffwrs no voy a abrir la boca, meaning “Pffffffwrs I won’t even open my mouth,” are evident of this skeptical nature and desperation with her surroundings. The recurring onomatopoeias in her titles further emphasise the irony and sarcastic humour of her work. The second kind of title comes from observations of the everyday enriched with a touch of satire. Viejas arrodilladas a destiempo which translates to “Old women kneeling out of sync,” is evident of that matter-of-fact comical attitude. The specificity of the titles sharply contrasts with the ambiguous nature of the canvases.

Natalia López de la Oliva Mena, *Viejas arrodilladas a destiempo*, 2024. Oil on canvas, 150 x 150 cm. Photo Courtesy: Herrero de Tejada.

Further layers of meaning emerge when her work is viewed within a context of religion. Born in Spain, a country where Christianity runs deep, we cannot ignore the cultural significance of the church within the community, and the influence of catholic imagery. Viejas arrodilladas a destiempo evokes an image of old women kneeling at church. In Encontraré la forma de que no sea tan somnoliennnnto, or “I will find a way for it not to be so boring,” we find her characteristic hands in a position of pray. The bright yellow and oranges are almost a reinterpretation of the abundance of gold leaf in traditional catholic churches, and the compositional structure of the diptych reminds us of altarpieces and devotional imagery. The word “divine” in the title conveys an element of sacredness, a transcendental quality. Although not a homage to religion, her work respects the cultural significance of the catholic faith, drawing on its visual qualities.

Natalia López de la Oliva, *No quería despertar a los que están durmiendo*. DIPTICO, 2024. Oil on canvas, 195 x 213 cm. Photo Courtesy: Herrero de Tejada.

As a whole, Natalia López de la Oliva’s work presented at Herrero de Tejada in Madrid presents a cohesive body of work that clearly conveys her voice as an artist. The vibrancy of each piece brings light into the gallery, and the layering of colours, textures and meanings provide an exciting taste of the early moments of this artist’s emerging career.

Natalia López de la Oliva: ‘Lo Divino es el impulso de la Lengua’ ran at Herrero de Tejada in Madrid from 12 December 2024 to 1 February 2025.

Lucía Alonso-Lasheras

Reviews Co-Editor, MADE IN BED

Natalia López de la Oliva: Lo Divino es el Impulso de la Lengua @ Herrero de Tejada

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Natalia López de la Oliva: Lo Divino es el Impulso de la Lengua @ Herrero de Tejada

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