Oil and acrylic on canvas
 
“This painting is a tribute to the charged, surreal relationship between Salvador Dalí and Gala and to the way their desire for one another seemed to ignite creativity on both sides. At the heart of the scene is an echo of an image I’ve always found arresting: Dalí kissing Gala’s hand - a gesture that feels intimate and theatrical all at once.
The statue in the composition is inspired by my visit to their home - a place where art and life feel inseparable, and where objects seem to hold memory, devotion and intention. The angular architecture and the geometry of the pool fill the canvas in visual harmony, bringing a sense of balance and stillness to the scene.
High above, a drifting cloud takes the unmistakable form of a Magritte-like apparition - another nod to one of my great surrealist inspirations. 
This painting brings together many of the threads running through the collection - devotion, symbolism, architecture, and the idea that love and longing can reshape not only our inner worlds, but the spaces we inhabit.”
Ruth Mulvie