Reulet, Núria Companys Castro

"REULET", Núria Companys Castro (Miralpeix, Lleida, 1981).
"The awakening of dormant feelings". 2023.
Mixed media on a wooden headboard of the artist's house, Cal Teuler, submerged under the waters of the Rialp reservoir.
The work has a security and anti-forgery label to preserve its legacy, and is delivered with a Certificate of Ownership.
Measurements: 51 cm x 140 cm.

"The awakening of dormant feelings" symbolizes the emotional journey from darkness to light, representing the awakening of feelings that usually remain dormant within each individual. Through a carefully selected color palette, the work contrasts deep shades of braised elements that evoke inner struggles with bright spots of color that symbolize hope and overcoming. This combination creates a dynamic that reflects the constant evolution of art. Núria Companys invites the viewer to reflect on her own experiences, reminding us that there are always opportunities to be reborn and find beauty in unexpected moments. In addition, the stroke and texture of the painting provide a tactile dimension that enriches the interaction with the work, symbolizing the journey towards self-knowledge.

Núria Companys Castro, known artistically as Reluet, is a self-taught artist. Her deep connection with nature, influenced by her agricultural roots and the sound of the river that marked her childhood, has always been a source of inspiration for her artistic creation. Núria's career has been marked by moments of loss that have redefined her perspective. In 1999, her home, Cal Teuler in Miralpeix, was submerged by the swamp, an event that opened a new avenue of creativity and self-discovery. In 2009 , the death of her grandfather was a moment of awakening that led her to adopt the name Reluet , symbolizing the rebirth of her genuine creative identity. This name is an inverted reflection of her lost home, Teuler, connecting her pain with her authenticity through the objects that her family has rescued, doors, windows, bricks among others.

With each brushstroke, Núria creates paintings, sculptures and illustrations that reflect deep themes such as memory and flow, identity and uniqueness, authenticity and imperfection, and purpose, interconnectedness and legacy. Her work offers a unique visual narrative inspired by the metaphor of the river, reminding us that "we are singular rivers, not swamps, that come together with other rivers and give rise to a beautiful confluence", inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in a contemplation that transcends sight.

Núria has held five solo exhibitions that have marked a significant milestone in her artistic career. The first, entitled "Reluet" , was held in August 2011 during the festivities of the new Tiurana, built at the foot of the Virgin of Solés, a place of pilgrimage for the residents of her village, Miralpeix. This inaugural exhibition represented the beginning of his career, presenting a work made from a door of his submerged home, a symbol of his personal rebirth after the loss of his grandfather.

The second exhibition, also titled "Reluet" , took place in October 2011 in Agramunt, during the Nougat Fair, where she paid tribute to the town where she grew up. In autumn 2022 , Núria opened her own studio in Castellserà, a step that symbolizes her artistic evolution and the discovery of her life purpose, due to a virus that temporarily paralyzed her for San Juan just after a night dive, and that allowed her to title her first painting after 13 years of searching and to sign her works that until then had been signed by her father.

Finally, in 2023 , he presented "Miralpeix, the cry of a people in oblivion" , intertwining his artistic past with his roots in the same scenarios of his first exhibitions. This exhibition invites reflection on memory and cultural heritage, capturing the essence of a people that, despite its oblivion, is still alive in her works and in the hearts of those who have known it. In addition, Núria has participated in solo and group exhibitions in various national and international art spaces, such as the Carrussel Du Louvre (Paris), QIAF (Qatar), as well as exhibitions in Denmark, Portugal and Luxembourg. These experiences have been fundamental for her consolidation as an emerging artist in the contemporary art scene.

During her career, she has been the author of the first solidarity story "El País Sencillo" (2015), whose benefits went to the AFANOC Association of children with cancer, and promoter of the second "Un Día Sencillo" (2017), with benefits for the AMPANS Foundation people with intellectual disabilities. In 2023 , she was a finalist for the Torres García Award and participated in the documentary "Rialp, the last swamp" . In 2024 , she was selected in the XV National Contest Transformarte of the Caja Rioja Foundation , and in 2025 , she will serve as co-writer and lead actress of the short film "Memoria bajo el agua".