This weekend was the last day of Manolo Valdes’s exhibition at the Pera Museum in Istanbul. One of Spain’s most celebrated contemporary artists, Valdes was inspired and recreated works from Lichtenstein, Matisse, Velasquez, and Zurbaran, using his own distinct language. His works are instigated from masterpieces of the past, bearing historic clues of colors and textures with robust references to art and its history. It was truly a delight for the eyes and the soul, and what really stood out for me was his use of colour. The bright pops of orange mixed with royal blue, pale pink juxtaposed with dark blue, and shades of blue in his nude paintings is what really stood out for me.