From the volcano's crater

Image Interpretation

In "From the Crater of the Volcano," Ri Meuser unfolds her characteristic mono-sgraffito technique into a cosmic drama: glowing red and ochre-yellow masses of color erupt from the background like primordial forces, layered and scraped away in up to 16 stages, which lend the work an almost sculptural depth. The colors, derived from petrochemical pigments, shine with an extraordinary intensity only possible on Ri Meuser's industrial foils—the light seems to emanate from the image itself.

Atmosphere & Effect

The painting unfolds an archaic, elemental power that captivates the viewer: one senses the raw energy of the earth's interior, the seething life beneath the surface. Ri Meuser's multi-layered technique creates a rhythm of veiling and unveiling, making the work appear alive and breathing.

Background & Meaning

Ri Meuser draws inspiration for this work from her travels to volcanic regions and her study of archaic and Etruscan depictions of nature, in which the earth is understood as a living being. The year 1980 marks a creative phase in which the artist condensed her symbolic language—cosmic forces, elemental primordial power, the interplay between chaos and form—into an independent visual language.