Now in his mid 80s, Endre Röder is still producing work of sheer delight. Many of his paintings shimmer with dabs of colour, lighting up the canvas. Other works, rich in tone, are more subtle. They almost saturate the composition with blocks of colour, producing a soft beauty reminiscent of Gauguin. Influencers abound – Chagall, Balthus, Picasso and Modigliani with his use of strongly defining lines, particularly around the face of his models. It is a recurring theme in Röder's work that evokes fun and movement. Images from other artists frequently kick-start ideas which in turn motivate his sense of colour and design, culminating in work that is distinctly his own. Occasionally he uses the trick of chiaroscuro (light against dark) to illuminate an image, it's use brought to perfection by Dutch artists of the Golden Age who also, occasionally like Röder, filled their paintings with symbolic meaning.
Looking at these paintings it becomes perfectly obvious that the artist is captivated by women, and they appear in almost of all his compositions. He treats them with respect and deep sensuality and often places them in imaginative settings. But his women are strong – no shrinking violets here. They all look ready to take on the world. So – enigmatic, faintly surreal, thought provoking and quite beautiful, Endre Röder's work is also stunning.
