{"id":160372,"date":"2025-09-05T08:19:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T06:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T14:16:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T13:16:13","slug":"paintings-with-secrets","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"Paintings with Secrets"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row unlock_row_content=&#8221;yes&#8221; row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;1&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_parallax=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;165170&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;8\/12&#8243;][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;125172&#8243; el_id=&#8221;descripcion-obra&#8221;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_custom_heading auto_text=&#8221;yes&#8221; text_color=&#8221;color-jevc&#8221; heading_semantic=&#8221;h2&#8243; text_font=&#8221;font-487951&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h1&#8243; sub_lead=&#8221;small&#8221; sub_reduced=&#8221;yes&#8221; foreword=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;307770&#8243; subheading=&#8221;1995&#8243; text_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;]This is a custom heading element.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;634227&#8243;]When taken together, the faces, relationships and actions captured in my early paintings build a kind of stage setting for a period fraught with unease, violence and deceit. Each scene, overlapping with one another, leaves what truly matters outside the frame. By decentralising, fracturing or even expunging the motif, the actual material itself is foregrounded and allowed to express itself freely through intersecting and superimposed layers of colour, forceful contrasts and dry brushstrokes that construct the form without ever fully merging together.<br \/>\nOverall, the works combine an unreal palette with a firm, concise and deliberately aggressive handling of paint. The series is dominated by male figures, with close-ups of anonymous faces forming a collective portrait of self-absorbed individuals, recalling instrument-less musicians lost in their music. Beyond a literal reading, each fragment suggests another narrative from which to begin thinking, not about the identity of those portrayed, but about the society they represent. For all their apparent legibility, these paintings evoke what is missing through what they show.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_gallery el_id=&#8221;gallery-395972756&#8243; type=&#8221;carousel&#8221; dynamic=&#8221;yes&#8221; carousel_lg=&#8221;1&#8243; carousel_md=&#8221;1&#8243; carousel_sm=&#8221;1&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; media_items=&#8221;media|lightbox|original,title,caption&#8221; carousel_v_align=&#8221;middle&#8221; carousel_interval=&#8221;0&#8243; carousel_navspeed=&#8221;400&#8243; carousel_loop=&#8221;yes&#8221; advanced_nav=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_id1=&#8221;gallery-395972756&#8243; stage_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; single_text=&#8221;under&#8221; single_overlay_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; single_overlay_anim=&#8221;no&#8221; single_image_anim=&#8221;no&#8221; single_h_align=&#8221;center&#8221; single_padding=&#8221;1&#8243; single_border=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;111212&#8243;][uncode_carousel_nav position=&#8221;absolute&#8221; padding=&#8221;0&#8243; space=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_align=&#8221;center&#8221; arrows_skin=&#8221;dark&#8221; arrows_position=&#8221;el_absolute&#8221; arrows_width=&#8221;outer&#8221; arrows_v_align=&#8221;middle&#8221; arrows_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; arrow_style=&#8221;round&#8221; icon=&#8221;fa fa-long-arrow-right&#8221; arrows_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; arrows_mobile_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; hide_dots=&#8221;yes&#8221; hide_counter=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;246995&#8243; target=&#8221;gallery-395972756&#8243; el_id=&#8221;flecha-slider-imagenes&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; desktop_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; medium_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_parallax=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;592489&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_custom_heading auto_text=&#8221;yes&#8221; text_color=&#8221;color-jevc&#8221; heading_semantic=&#8221;h2&#8243; text_font=&#8221;font-487951&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h1&#8243; sub_lead=&#8221;small&#8221; sub_reduced=&#8221;yes&#8221; foreword=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;642906&#8243; subheading=&#8221;1995&#8243; text_color_type=&#8221;uncode-palette&#8221;]This is a custom heading element.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;145592&#8243;]When taken together, the faces, relationships and actions captured in my early paintings build a kind of stage setting for a period fraught with unease, violence and deceit. Each scene, overlapping with one another, leaves what truly matters outside the frame. By decentralising, fracturing or even expunging the motif, the actual material itself is foregrounded and allowed to express itself freely through intersecting and superimposed layers of colour, forceful contrasts and dry brushstrokes that construct the form without ever fully merging together.<br \/>\nOverall, the works combine an unreal palette with a firm, concise and deliberately aggressive handling of paint. The series is dominated by male figures, with close-ups of anonymous faces forming a collective portrait of self-absorbed individuals, recalling instrument-less musicians lost in their music. Beyond a literal reading, each fragment suggests another narrative from which to begin thinking, not about the identity of those portrayed, but about the society they represent. For all their apparent legibility, these paintings evoke what is missing through what they show.[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery el_id=&#8221;gallery-3959727560&#8243; isotope_mode=&#8221;vertical&#8221; dynamic=&#8221;yes&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; media_items=&#8221;media|lightbox|original,title,caption&#8221; screen_lg=&#8221;1000&#8243; screen_md=&#8221;600&#8243; screen_sm=&#8221;480&#8243; single_text=&#8221;under&#8221; single_overlay_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; single_overlay_anim=&#8221;no&#8221; single_image_anim=&#8221;no&#8221; single_h_align=&#8221;center&#8221; single_padding=&#8221;1&#8243; single_border=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;158688&#8243; el_class=&#8221;galeria-obra-movil&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row unlock_row_content=&#8221;yes&#8221; row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;1&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_visibility=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_parallax=&#8221;0&#8243; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;165170&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;8\/12&#8243;][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160371,"parent":0,"menu_order":22,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales","footnotes":""},"portfolio_category":[119],"class_list":["post-160372","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_category-119"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mery Sales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mery.sales.54\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-11-02T13:16:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/\",\"name\":\"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-05T06:19:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-11-02T13:16:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp\",\"width\":600,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"serie_cuadros_secreto\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Portfolio\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Paintings with Secrets\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Mery Sales\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/b43c9a711835f959d031774c02e6b0e8\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/b43c9a711835f959d031774c02e6b0e8\",\"name\":\"Mery Sales\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5.webp\",\"width\":1324,\"height\":2000,\"caption\":\"Mery Sales\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"description\":\"Artista visual e investigadora.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/merysales.com\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mery.sales.54\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/merysales_\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@merysales4741\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales","description":"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales","og_description":"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026","og_url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/","og_site_name":"Mery Sales","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mery.sales.54\/","article_modified_time":"2026-11-02T13:16:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/","url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/","name":"Paintings with Secrets (1995) \u00b7 Series by Mery Sales","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp","datePublished":"2025-09-05T06:19:54+00:00","dateModified":"2026-11-02T13:16:13+00:00","description":"The enigma of painting lies beyond its boundaries: what is important remains unseen. The use of out of range extracts what is important from the scene\u2026","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/serie_cuadros_secreto.webp","width":600,"height":600,"caption":"serie_cuadros_secreto"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/paintings-with-secrets\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Portfolio","item":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/portfolio\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Paintings with Secrets"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/","name":"Mery Sales","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/b43c9a711835f959d031774c02e6b0e8"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/b43c9a711835f959d031774c02e6b0e8","name":"Mery Sales","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5.webp","width":1324,"height":2000,"caption":"Mery Sales"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"Artista visual e investigadora.","sameAs":["https:\/\/merysales.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mery.sales.54\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/merysales_\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@merysales4741"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/160372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160372"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/160372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164072,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/160372\/revisions\/164072"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"portfolio_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merysales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_category?post=160372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}