Phosphene (2023) is a body of work transformed form José Parlá’s earlier styles, reflecting a journey both deeply personal and universal. The former due to his near-death experience with Covid -19 and the latter connected to the pre-democracy and BLM protests that erupted during those years.

Phosphene is “a sensation of a ring or spot of light produced by pressure on the eyeball or direct stimulation of the visual system other than by light.” Literally, Parlá experienced phosphenes during his stay in hospital, where he was induced into a coma and experienced significant muscle atrophy. Drawing his experience into his practice, ‘phosphene’ becomes a metaphor for inner vision, healing and unconscious memory. As reflected in his triumphant and energetic spreads, Parlá had to fight on both a psychological and physical level to regain former strength.

There is a renewed life force in his characteristic abstract stokes and layering. These works express vitality previously unseen, as if electrical currents are running across the canvases, echoing his convalescent neural networks.

Parlá’s personal recalibration is connected to the changing world outside. Covid-19 caused death and panic as governments imposed harsh lock-downs. In conjunction with tightening control, pro-democracy protests and outcry after the George Floyd murder, empowering citizens to embrace a dormant power by rethinking what society should be. These works seek to illustrate the connection between the inner self and the global; strength through introspection and global will.