Per­for­mance-paint­ing is described by Peñalver as “cre­ation through per­for­mance cap­tur­ing the ener­gy of the here and now”.
In Peñalver’s eyes, the per­for­mance is the sub­ject, like a land­scape, that will be expressed across his can­vas.

His per­for­mance-paint­ings series LIVE AND RITUAL, were staged over 15 years in New York City. These series’ explore the lim­i­ta­tions of free­dom and the end­less strug­gle to exist.

Peñalver often cre­ates his works while bur­dened by lit­er­al lim­i­ta­tions: bound to coun­ter­weights or his face obstruct­ed. In oth­er cas­es his own body and finite ener­gy are what lim­it his cre­ation. But the per­for­mance is always rep­re­sen­ta­tive of lim­i­ta­tions in life, and the rit­u­als we cre­ate to deal with them.