BORIS TORRES, Crush, 2026, Oil on panel, 40.6 x 50.8 cm / 16 x 20 inches. Photo courtesy of RKFA and artist.
Saturdays is a new body of work by Torres, in which cinematic source material is transformed into quiet, emotionally charged narratives. Rather than functioning as acts of citation or nostalgia, these images are reimagined through painting into new stories, moments that feel as if they are unfolding across different places on a Saturday, a day traditionally marked by rest, pause, and the suspension of routine.
The paintings invite viewers to take a discreet, intimate peek into these imagined worlds. Torres reframes his source material through the lens of contemporary painting, shifting attention away from spectacle and toward emotional presence. What emerges are scenes that emphasize tenderness, vulnerability, and connection, where intimacy is suggested rather than stated, and moments of human closeness are held with care and restraint.
Throughout the series, figures of varying forms inhabit atmospheres shaped by muted, grounded tones. Surfaces are worked with broad gestures and abrasions that introduce a sense of vulnerability and time, mirroring the way memory softens and reshapes experience. Through acts of cropping, enlargement, and revision, the images are guided away from their origins and re-formed into spaces that invite contemplation and open-ended interpretation.
The works in Saturdays are tender and suffused with mystery. Desire and companionship are expressed obliquely, through mood and proximity rather than spectacle. At times, viewers feel nearly entangled in these moments of closeness; at others, they encounter them from a remove, aware of intimacy unfolding just beyond their grasp.
Unified in tone and approach, Saturdays dwells not on the explicit, but on facial expressions, subtle gestures, and figures that carry longing and care. Together, these paintings offer a contemplative meditation on intimacy, how it is felt, remembered, and quietly shared.
Venue: Richard Koh Fine Art, Blk 47 Malan Road, #01-26 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 109444
When: 7 Mar - 4 Apr 2026, Tuesday – Saturday: 11 am – 7 pm
