Chess, as both a game and a cultural artefact, offers a rich terrain for exploration and research. My work is based on the intersection of theoretical foundations and my own practical experience. Through abstract works and figurative pieces that delve into the history, logic, mathematics, and literature surrounding the game, I seek to express the multifaceted essence of chess as both a mental and cultural phenomenon.

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In my abstract works, I draw inspiration from the Constructivist movement’s emphasis on geometry and structure. The chessboard, with its clean grid and ordered chaos, lends itself naturally to this style. I break down the game into its essential forms, lines, shapes and planes - while exploring the tension between order and disorder, calculation and intuition. The pieces, simplified and reimagined, become geometric abstractions that speak to the underlying architecture of the game itself: a dynamic system of moves, counter-moves and strategic options. These works are grounded in the logic and mathematics of chess, where every placement is governed by rules, yet open to infinite combinations.

 

The Constructivist approach allows me to visualise chess not just as a game of individual moves, but as a larger, systemic composition. Each piece on the board is a symbol of potentiality, and the spaces between them, the gaps and intersections, embody the game’s inherent tension between thought and action, planning and execution. Through this abstraction, I aim to evoke the interplay between structure and creativity that is intrinsic to the game.

 

In my figurative works, I turn to the rich history and literary metaphors surrounding chess to examine its symbolic role in human culture. From its origins in ancient Asia to its evolution in the royal courts of Europe, chess has been intertwined with ideas of power, strategy, and intellectual rigour. My figurative works are imbued with symbolic significance, referencing moments of historical importance or literary narratives where chess represents a metaphor for life’s complexities - whether as a symbol of intellectual warfare, a representation of decision-making, or a mirror of human struggle.

 

I also draw from chess literature - works by authors such as Zweig, Beckett, Nabokov and others who have used the game as a lens through which to examine the nature of reality, fate, and human agency. Chess becomes, in these works, a metaphor for the complexity of life itself - where the limits of rational behaviour, creativity, and destiny converge. In these figurative pieces, the chessboard becomes both a literal and metaphorical space where the human condition plays out in silent confrontation.

 

Behind all my work is a deep engagement with both the theoretical underpinnings of the game and the personal experiences I have had in playing it. The logic of chess, its mathematical precision, and its metaphoric resonance in literature: this all converges in my works. Through the combination of abstract and figurative approaches, I aim to convey the vast intellectual and emotional depth of chess, offering a visual language for a game that transcends its simple rules to become a timeless reflection of the human experience.