After a decade of practice and research among museums, Zen temples, and art classrooms, Ignacio Mateos presents a book that proposes a contemporary path of meditation based on artistic contemplation. An accessible and profound work that, as he asserts, «pleasantly and rigorously updates all this ancestral knowledge for the current reader.» The project, developed from the Artpath platform, has already attracted the interest of institutions such as the National Gallery.
This is your first book. How was it for you to face writing? What did it mean for you to transform such an intimate practice as meditation into a shared work?
As the reader will discover, «Meditarte» is a very special book. It is the result of a process that has lasted around a decade of research, practice, and writing channeled through the organization Artpath, founded in New York, from which I have been promoting the practice of contemplative meditation through art. The process of refining, organizing, and adapting all this knowledge for a universal reader has been very enriching, allowing me to connect better with myself and also with others.
You come from the world of art as well as meditation. At what moment did those two paths unite in you, and how did the idea of Meditarte come to be?
One day, while observing one of the versions of Water Lilies by Monet in a museum, I began to reflect on why the observation of certain works of art provided me with a sense of well-being similar to what I experienced when I meditated. Years later, while studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York, after receiving a scholarship from “la Caixa,” I began to intertwine, while always respecting the essence of ancient traditions, the artistic and meditative disciplines until I founded Artpath, the digital precursor to the book «Meditarte.»
You trained at the Zen Buddhist Temple in New York under the guidance of Samu Sunim. What led you there, and how did you experience that spiritual and human learning?
My family has always favored an environment focused on reading and reflection. My great-uncle, Father Cristóbal Barrionuevo, a Jesuit missionary in Japan and companion of Father Arrupe, was also part of my inspiration on this path. After years of more casual practice, it was about a decade ago that I began to develop a more consistent and committed practice under the guidance of the Venerable Samu Sunim, founder of the Buddhist Zen Temple in New York. I feel very fortunate to have been able to walk a path guided by such figures.
Samu Sunim was a unique master, combining Zen rigor with great openness. What teachings of his are present today in your life and in this book?
One very important message that permeates «Meditarte» is that meditation is not just a practice, but a way of life that must be integrated into our daily lives. Also, that defense of inclusive meditation, open to everyone, without rigidity and without regard to where one is coming from or going to.
“Writing and reading allow us to see things more clearly. They are excellent tools for discerning between what benefits us and what does not.”
What differences would you highlight between the Zen meditation you learned in the temple and the approach you propose through the contemplation of art? Are they parallel paths or complementary?
Complementary. All paths feed into each other. Zen has been practiced for centuries and remains highly relevant today. What «Meditarte» proposes is a methodology updated to the reality of those of us living in the 21st century, a time when it is not so easy to find pause or silence. Given that we are a highly visual society, we will learn how to use a motif like a work of art or a scene to utilize its aesthetics to organize and clarify our minds.
In Meditarte, you propose a method of contemplative meditation through art. What kind of personal transformation do you hope the reader will experience as they engage with it?
«Meditarte» is a powerful method capable of helping those who experience its reading to feel good. The practice of contemplative meditation has multiple benefits ranging from the ability to relax, organize our emotions, or improve our concentration, to developing our creativity and thus connecting with our true selves.
The book is structured in seven symbolic blocks—water, earth, fire, air, metal, wood, and void—each associated with a work of art. How did that structure come about and what role do those elements play?
One of the priorities was that, despite developing sophisticated or elevated ideas, the book be easily accessible to everyone, regardless of prior knowledge of art or meditation. With this structure of the seven blocks, a very enjoyable and pleasant work to read has been achieved; almost as if it were a video game that the reader should play, learning the skills and connecting with the ideas and concepts that each block intertwines in a nearly poetic manner.
You have chosen very specific pieces for each block, from Van Gogh to Hokusai. What led you to select those works and not others? What were you hoping they would evoke?
Each element connects, with great intention, to a work of art as well as to the teachings of the great schools of universal meditation. It is a carefully curated and surprising selection. For example, the first block, the most fundamental, brings us closer to the technique of breathing, metaphorically comparing it to the sedative rhythm of the ocean waves. There is much hidden suggestion in the book. Nothing has been left to chance.
“What Meditarte proposes is a methodology updated to the reality of those of us living in the 21st century, a time when it is not so easy to find pause or silence.”
In the block dedicated to fire, you discuss accepting imperfection through haiku or raku pottery. Do you think we live in a culture too obsessed with perfection?
Certainly. Many believe that myths belong to the past, but today we are immersed in a society driven by great idealization. Advertising, artificial intelligence, or the algorithms that dominate us transmit impossible models of perfection. We cannot ignore that imperfection and suffering are real aspects of our lives and that we must learn to live with them in the most comfortable way possible.
In the chapter on void, you mention Agnes Martin and her pursuit of serene beauty. What place does silence hold in your personal practice and in the method you propose?
Silence is fundamental for being able to listen to ourselves, but we must not obsess over escaping to a perfect place. There will always be some noise or discomfort. The key lies in being able to recognize those moments of great inner turmoil so that, intuitively, we can implement all these skills that will help us to find calm.
