Electricity (2023) Painting by David Barnes

The latest series, I am working on, involves using recycled leather cut-offs from the shoe making industry here in Portugal. The range of colours and surface finishes available creates a unique palette to work from. Each individual piece is cut using a "cookie cutter" knife, made from a hand-drawn template.

My work has always explored the different layers and patterns behind everyday reality. Everything is a construction of different parts and elements. The visual world has underlying structures and patterns that combine to give us our perceived reality. My art seeks to reflect the connections and layering.

The geometric design is hand drawn using a compass and straight edge.

The combination of geometry and colour allows the eye to wander over the surface, and for me, has a meditative quality.

With collage, the act of cutting through a sheet of material reveals a window into another layer below. My work tries to create a sense of surface pattern, letting the eye roam over the picture plane, as well as creating a sense of depth and of space receding behind the surface.

• Nationality: PORTUGAL
• Date of birth : 1974
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Portuguese Artists