“Cordial” (2025) Oil on canvas 145 x 130 cm The vivid red of “Cordial” serves as both canvas and constraint - VANTA laid down this intense foundation knowing exactly what would be carved away later. Using solvents and various tools, the artist excavated an intricate grid that seems to weave in and out of the red field. The removal process exposes different layers of the paint, creating subtle variations in tone where the solvent ate deeper or the tool pressed harder. This isn’t quick work. Each carved line required steady hands and advance planning - mistakes can’t be painted over when you’re working backwards. Available through S-Gallery on Catawiki, the piece demonstrates how restriction breeds creativity. The grid pattern had to be envisioned completely before the first scrape removed paint, making this more akin to printmaking or engraving than traditional painting. The red amplifies everything making the carved pathways feel urgent, almost arterial. Light plays differently across the excavated areas throughout the day, making the grid appear to shift between prominence and subtlety. Shipping: The work is delivered without a frame (professional packaging, rolled in a tube). it can easily be restretched by a professional or on your own, this is also cheaper then the otherwise increased cost of shipping when sending paintings of this size stretched The measurements indicated are those of the painting stretched and mounted on a frame (The actual measurements of the canvas are larger to allow it to be mounted on a frame 2-4 cm thick.