Encarna Robles, the artistic name of Encarnación Robles Navarro, is a Spanish artist whose creative journey has been shaped by an enduring passion for art, an ongoing curiosity about different forms of expression, and a deep sensitivity to light and composition. Born in León in 1951, she moved to Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, in 1976, where she established her life and continued to develop her artistic practice.
For Robles, art has never been confined to a single medium or style. Her practice moves freely between abstraction and figuration, painting and drawing, sculpture and printmaking. Rather than viewing these different approaches as contradictory, she considers them part of the same creative journey. Her imagination and curiosity lead her from one form of expression to another, allowing each artwork to emerge according to the ideas and emotions it needs to communicate.
Throughout her career, Robles has developed a highly personal and eclectic artistic language. Her work is characterized by a strong awareness of light, a thoughtful approach to composition, and an openness to exploring the inner world through visual expression.
A Lifelong Passion for Painting
Robles’s relationship with art began during childhood. From an early age, she developed a strong passion for art in general and painting in particular.
For many years, she pursued painting as a self-taught artist, learning through observation, experimentation, and personal exploration. This independent approach helped her develop a sense of curiosity that would remain central to her artistic identity.
Rather than following a rigid artistic formula, Robles gradually discovered her own way of working. Her early experiences taught her to trust her instincts and remain open to new possibilities.
This independent spirit continues to influence her work today, where she freely moves between different techniques and artistic approaches.
Learning From Life and Landscape
For many years, Robles worked directly from life, both in the studio and outdoors, easel in hand, surrounded by the landscape.
These experiences became an important part of her artistic education. Working directly from observation allowed her to develop a deep understanding of how light influences atmosphere and how subtle changes in illumination can transform a scene.
Through this experience, she learned to see light not merely as a technical element but as an essential force that shapes mood and emotion.
The knowledge gained through working from life later became an important foundation for her imaginative work. Whether creating figurative or abstract paintings, she continued to draw upon her understanding of light and atmosphere.
This sensitivity became one of the qualities recognized by critics in her work.
The Influence of Photography
Robles’s understanding of light and composition was also influenced by her father, who was a photographer.
Growing up surrounded by photography books and literature introduced her to another way of thinking about visual representation. Her father’s interest in photography encouraged her own curiosity about the relationship between light, composition, and the creation of images.
Photography provided her with a different perspective on the visual world. The careful arrangement of elements within a frame, the effects of light, and the atmosphere created through contrast and tonal relationships all became subjects of interest.
These ideas eventually found their way into her painting practice, where they continue to inform the way she approaches composition and illumination.
Discovering the World of Abstraction
A major turning point in Robles’s artistic development came in 1983, when she joined Humberto’s Experimental Workshop.
This experience opened the door to a world that had previously been unfamiliar to her: abstraction and alternative approaches to expressing the inner world.
The workshop provided an opportunity to move beyond direct representation and explore visual forms capable of communicating emotions, thoughts, and internal experiences.
For Robles, abstraction became another language through which she could express ideas that could not always be conveyed through recognizable images.
This discovery expanded her artistic vocabulary and gave her the freedom to explore the relationship between the visible and invisible aspects of experience.
Creating Art as a Series of Books
Since 1986, Robles has worked independently, developing her artistic practice through a series-based approach.
She compares her series to books, with each individual painting functioning as a chapter or poem within a larger creative narrative.
This way of working allows her to explore an idea over time, developing it through multiple artworks rather than attempting to communicate everything in a single piece.
Each painting becomes part of a larger conversation. One artwork may lead naturally to another, creating connections and unexpected directions within the series.
This process reflects the organic nature of her creativity. Her work evolves as she creates, with each new idea potentially opening the door to another.
An Eclectic and Unrestricted Practice
Eclecticism is one of the defining characteristics of Encarna Robles’s artistic practice.
She does not believe that an artist should be restricted to a single style, subject, or medium. If one painting suggests another, she may begin working on the new piece immediately, even if it requires a completely different technique.
Her artistic practice encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. She also moves naturally between abstraction and figuration, depending on the demands of the idea she is exploring.
For Robles, this freedom is essential to creativity.
She sees no contradiction in an artist working across different forms. Just as a writer may move from poetry to essays and then to crime fiction, she believes a visual artist should also be able to explore different artistic languages when imagination and knowledge make it possible.
A Deep Love of Printmaking
Printmaking has always held a special place in Robles’s artistic journey.
Driven by curiosity, she began studying printmaking techniques in 1992. She attended courses while also conducting her own research, gradually building her knowledge and understanding of the medium.
The following year, a printing press was specially made for her. Since then, she has used it to produce her own graphic work as well as prints for other artists.
This aspect of her practice demonstrates her commitment to artistic independence and technical exploration.
Printmaking allows Robles to engage with art in a different way, combining creativity with process and craftsmanship. Her experience in the medium has become an important part of her broader artistic identity.
Art and the Need to Protect the Planet
In recent years, Robles has devoted considerable energy to creating smaller-format works, many of which are connected by a broader concern for the planet.
The theme of environmental care has become an important focus within her recent artistic production. Her work reflects a growing awareness of the damage being done to the natural world and the urgent need to reconsider humanity’s relationship with the environment.
Through these works, Robles seeks to communicate a message about the need to care for a planet that has been mistreated.
Her decision to present her work through online platforms such as ArtMajeur reflects her desire to reach a wider audience and allow her message to travel beyond her immediate surroundings.
A Life of Continuous Artistic Discovery
Encarna Robles’s artistic journey is defined by curiosity, freedom, and a refusal to be confined by conventional boundaries.
From her early years as a self-taught painter to her exploration of abstraction, from working directly from landscapes to developing series-based projects, and from painting and sculpture to printmaking, she has continually expanded her creative vocabulary.
Her sensitivity to light and composition, influenced in part by her father’s photographic background, remains a consistent thread running through her diverse body of work.
At the same time, her willingness to move between abstraction and figuration demonstrates her belief that art should remain open to discovery.
Today, Robles continues to create with the same curiosity that has guided her throughout her life. Her recent focus on environmental themes adds another dimension to her practice, transforming her art into both a personal form of expression and a message about collective responsibility.
Through her eclectic body of work, Encarna Robles reminds us that an artist’s imagination does not need to follow a single path. Like the chapters of a book or the poems within a collection, each artwork can tell its own story while remaining part of a much larger creative journey.
