A Brush Stroke Of Genius

Inspiration is something that is found at a level we don't often comprehend, and at times, the people we meet, the things we see, or the places we visit have an effect that is far more profound than we could ever initially fathom. For artist Deviprasad Rao, coming across an article about Lisbon in the New York Times led to the making of one such course-altering inspirational choice.

Unit that point in his artistic career, Deviprasad had worked on media-based visuals through pictures and videos, in order to craft art that was location-based. However, somehow, this was different. He felt the yearning to visit the city of Lisbon, a city that enchanted him in every manner of its being.

To quote television host and linguist Nalini Elvino Sousa's written word, 'Devi grabbed those lines, the curves of the church domes, the winding path of the trams, the triangular shapes of roofs, the way the houses huddle, becoming more and more dense. Every corner of Lisbon had its own different characters. Every angle had a new perspective. For those who know Lisbon will surely recognise in the middle of his abstract work, certain symbols, which are omnipresent in Devi's work such Nossa Senhora do Monte who has given spiritual orientation to the artist, the elevator of Santa Justa, the church of Santa Engracia, river Tagus or the beautiful old yellow trams. All these elements put together gave shape to the first Den-city: Lisbon Impact which was presented at Museu do Oriente as a solo exhibition. His works are a fusion of abstract and realism. Using lines, dots, black and coloured patches, he created 211 drawings and canvases(apart from the photographs and a video installation) out of which 58 are now part of the permanent collection of the Museu do Oriente in Lisbon."

Speaking on what inspired this particular theme, the artist shares, "The link between Goa and Portugal initially inspired this theme. Eventually, it was the people of Portugal themselves who inspired me to work on this series."

However that being said, with a title as broad-reaching as 'My Journey to Portugal', one could think that the title suggests a physical journey from Goa to portugal, rather than within the country itself. However, Deviprasad points out that there is no specific message to the series. Adding that it is bascially a journey within Portugal.

This is far from the artist's first attempt showcasing an internationally cultural topic such as this, and Deviprasad is quick to point out, "I have worked on other cities and countries, prior to this. The first was Barcelona and walking, beyond its impact on me. It was titled 'Beyond Barcelona'. Later on, the focus was on an industrial city in Germany, called Duisburg. It was titled 'Duisburg Effect'. After that, my next exhibit was on Lisbon, titled 'Lisbon Impact'; finally, here we are, with 'My Journey to Portugal."

'My Journey to Portugal' will be open for public viewing from August 25 to September 13, 2017 Carpe Diem Art and Learning Centre, Majorda