Rodama Convergence

by Juan Amador

Juan Amador (born 1968) is one of the most renowned chefs in the world – his exceptional cuisine has been awarded three Michelin stars for over 15 years.

In addition to his impressive career as a chef, Amador has also been active as an artist since 2020. The top chef works in his studio almost every night. During the coronavirus pandemic, Amador swapped pans and tweezers for brushes and palettes – and fell into a productive color frenzy. Since then, in the silence of the night and inspired by music, he has meticulously created contemporary, abstract works under the artist name “Rodama”, which are characterized by dynamic colors and shapes, rhythm and intensity.

His guiding principle is:”art is pleasure”. With this in mind, Amador transfers the creative processes of his culinary art to the canvas. His art is an interpretation of emotions, energy and experiences that he has gathered both in the kitchen and in life.

“Love is the origin of everything I do.” Juan Amador

He traces the parallels between his two passions as follows: “In cooking, as in art, it’s all about evoking emotions. A dish must not only taste good, it must also move you – just like a painting.” Minimalism plays a decisive role for him. “The fewer components on the plate, the more work goes into it. The same applies to my paintings. I often limit myself to three basic colors in order to work out their combination perfectly.” The concept of blurring also runs through “Rodama’s” paintings. “I deliberately don’t paint clear, representational motifs. It’s about leaving room for interpretation. Everyone should see in my work what appeals to them personally. The world around us is so sharp and clear that I deliberately introduce a blur into my art.” This approach is also reflected in the kitchen, where Amador deconstructs and reinterprets classic dishes to offer guests new perspectives.