Spatial representation
of emotion
Mixed-media abstract art series
2019
Spatial Representation of Emotions is the central theme underlying all artworks produced in 2019.
This body of work forms part of Philippe Halaburda’s ongoing psychogeographic practice, translating abstract feelings and internal emotional states into structured visual compositions.
Drawing from the visual language of cartography, the series constructs abstract topographies
that map emotional experience as spatial form.
+ Emotional mapping: 2019 series overview
• Studio: Brooklyn, NY
• 51 series: canvas, paper,
and sculpture
In these series, emotions are treated as landscapes, complex, layered, and multidimensional. Rather than illustrating narrative or figurative scenes, the works visualize emotional states through dense geometric systems. Joy, sorrow, love, and longing are translated into contours, pathways, and spatial relationships, allowing emotion to be navigated rather than depicted.
Concept & Theme
To create these abstract emotional topographies, I layer, overlap, and juxtapose geometric forms.
Shapes, lines, and color fields are arranged with intention, building density and rhythm across the surface.
Each compositional element symbolizes a distinct emotional state, while the accumulation and interaction of forms generate a broader visual narrative.
Materials & Process
Color palettes, textures, and spatial relationships play a central role in conveying emotional depth.
Variations in hue, saturation, and material density introduce tension and resonance, reflecting the shifting intensity of emotional experience.
Through these strategies, the works evoke a sense of psychological depth, inviting viewers to move through emotional space as a dynamic environment.
Studio & Context
This series extends my exploration of psychogeography by focusing on emotion as a spatial phenomenon.
By mapping internal states onto abstract systems, the works challenge conventional representation and propose abstraction as a means of emotional navigation.
Viewers are invited to engage with the complexity of feeling through structure, rhythm, and perceptual discovery.
