Artist: Anselm Reyle

Opera Gallery Madrid presents ‘Tequila Sunrise’, a solo exhibition of paintings and sculptures by German artist Anselm Reyle. Timed to coincide with Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend (10–13 September 2026), the exhibition brings together some of his most recognisable series: Ceramics, Foils & Neons, Burlap Paintings, New Paintings (Bright & Black), Stripe Paintings and Chrome Brush Stroke Paintings.

The exhibition presents a diverse body of work, with particular emphasis on the new Chrome Brush Stroke Paintings and Ceramic Sculptures. These are presented alongside selected works dating back to 2006, providing insight into the artist’s development and tracing the evolution of his practice over the past two decades. Together, the works offer a comprehensive overview of an artist whose practice has consistently challenged the conventions of abstraction through material innovation, experimentation, and a distinctive engagement with colour.

Based in Berlin, Anselm Reyle is known for transforming industrial materials and everyday visual references into striking works that challenge traditional ideas of abstraction. Through reflective surfaces, vivid colour, and unexpected materials, his works blur the boundaries between painting and object, authenticity and artifice.

Illusion and perception are central to Anselm Reyle’s practice, where what initially appears as a spontaneous painterly gesture often reveals itself to be a meticulously constructed fabrication. Drawing on the legacies of gestural and Post-War Abstraction, Pop Art, and the visual language of consumer culture, Reyle both embraces and interrogates established artistic conventions. Combining technical precision with experimentation and chance, he transforms familiar industrial and everyday materials into works of compelling visual and conceptual complexity across painting and sculpture.

Colour functions not only as a formal device but also as a catalyst for energy and transformation. In Untitled (2026), one of the new Chrome Brush Stroke Paintings, what appear to be richly textured, gestural brushstrokes rendered in neon hues are framed by the luminous glow of lime green spray paint. Elsewhere in the exhibition, a bright yellow Ceramic Sculpture with vivid green accents is illuminated by blue neon light, intensifying the interplay of colour, texture and reflection. By disrupting familiar visual codes and questioning conventional hierarchies of beauty, authenticity and artistic value, Reyle invites viewers to reconsider how images are constructed, experienced and understood. “What interests me most,” Reyle said, “are the dead ends of modernism.”

Belén Herrera Ottino, Director of Opera Gallery Madrid, commented: “Anselm Reyle has developed a unique visual language that continues to challenge how we experience painting and sculpture. Combining bold material experimentation with a deep understanding of abstraction, his work remains as innovative and relevant today as ever. We are delighted to present this significant exhibition, marking Reyle’s first solo show with Opera Gallery in Madrid, during Apertura.”

Spanning two decades of experimentation, ‘Tequila Sunrise’ reveals a practice that persistently tests the boundaries between painting and object, illusion and material presence. Bringing together landmark series alongside important new works, the exhibition underscores Reyle’s enduring ability to reinvent the language of abstraction while expanding its material and conceptual possibilities.