javier de riba illustrates ephemeral plants in front of tortosa's historic courtyards

while javier de riba may be best known for his spray painted compositions in abandoned urban landscapes, his latest series of work adopts a new medium and is situated in the public realm. for ‘romagueres’, de riba has used chalk to colorize courtyards around the catalan city of tortosa, adding a collection of hand-drawn brambles to the floor. the illustrated shrubbery takes on geometric forms, with thorny branches represented by sharply pointed triangles and vibrant abstract shapes.

realized for the a cel obert festival, a celebration of ephemeral artworks completed across courtyards in tortosa, ‘romagueres’ will slowly fade away as visitors pass over it. de riba has used chalk to express this impermanence, outlining a series of public artworks that will change saturation and style over time. the illustrations of each bramble plant depict a thorny stem with a vibrantly colored fruit at its center, formed by a series of abstract shapes and geometries. the choice of this botanical feature is no accident, de riba says: these courtyards are usually closed and don’t have much movement of people — perfect conditions for this plant to grow.

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