SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
Frazer Andrade
Ladis Da Silva was born to Goan parents on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa, on April 11, 1920. He combined in himself two notable accomplishments: he was a consummate artist who before World War II worked with oils and canvas, water colours and acrylics and later concentrated primarily on pen washes and renderings which appeared identical to woodcut prints. He was also a writer of note having published books and written extensively on his work.
He was enrolled at the Sir Euan Smith Madressa School, Zanzibar, where he studied Gujarati, Marathi and Sanskrit. He then joined St Joseph High School for Advanced Studies under the Holy Ghost Fathers where he acquired his basics in art. In Zanzibar, he was the founder member of the Zanzibar Arts and Crafts Society with the support of His Highness, The Sultanate of Zanzibar, also known as the Zanzibar Sultanate, which was an East African Muslim state controlled by the Sultan of Zanzibar, between 1856 and 1964.
As an assistant scout-master, still in his teens, he was asked to handprint the programme on the occasion of the official visit of Sir Baden Powell, Lady Powell and their daughters for the Great Jamboree in 1935. These programmes have been preserved in the Scouting Museum in London. Immigrating to London in 1941, he founded the Goan Arts Society where he was elected as its president. He was a member of good standing, of the exclusively European ‘5 Arts Club’, ‘The Indian Christian Arts Society’ and ‘Paa Ya Paa’, the Kenya National Cultural Centre.
In Nairobi, he held several solo exhibitions. His first exhibition was at the Parochial Catholic School Auditorium after the Second World War and his last at the foyer of the famous Donovon Maule Theatre on January 30, 1967. Several of his paintings were purchased by visiting tourists as they represented the wildlife of Kenya.
Ladis da Silva immigrated to Canada in 1968 where he specialized in the Native Indian and Inuit Art. His articles and detailed work which sensitively and accurately capture the spirituality and cultural traditions of the native people
of Canada, have regularly appeared in the
Toronto Native Times.
He has published three non-fiction books containing his own illustrations, namely the ‘Americanization of Goans’; ‘Legendary Chandor: seat of the Kadamba dynasty in Goa’ and ‘St Francis Xavier’. His latest book, ‘An Island Kingdom’, an extensively researched work on
the history of the Omani Dynasty in East Africa was published in the USA in 1989. Ladis was highly recognized for his special techniques which produced an almost photographic effect in his work.
While in Kenya, he was influenced by Bruno di Sorpa, a renowned Italian artist, but during his early formative years, it was his parent’s encouragement that spurred him on. He did extensive work on calendar designs, African scenes, wildlife and churches of Goa and Canada.
He was commissioned to do wildlife scenes on lamp rice parchments which were purchased at the ‘Tree Top Hotel’ by movie stars from the Hollywood industry. Ladis devoted his spare time to the service of the church, senior citizens, the sick and the youth. He was the member of Amnesty International championing, the cause of the prisoners of conscience. Ladis passed away in 1994, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada leaving behind three daughters, the eldest of which is a writer. Indeed, a great personality like Ladis and his contributions to society deserve to be remembered and acknowledged in the generations to come.
Among the many works that made its way to Goa especially to his own village Chandor, include those that are at Casa Bragança Pereira in Chandor. “These are sketches gifted to my grand uncle, Álvaro Bragança Pereira,” mentions André Bragança Pereira with a smile.
One magnificent piece of art in a private collection in Fatorda includes an intricately worked woodcut print of St Francis Xavier.
The Saint was represented in a manner very similar to the Baroque statue of the Saint seen
at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, in Velha Goa where he is shown holding a staff in his right hand and
a crucifix in his left. In the background of this work, was shown a healthy coconut plantation with the movement of trees, complimenting that of the Saint.
Emma da Silva, Ladis da Silva’s first paternal cousin says, “My father and Ladis’s father were brothers!” Further with a sense of pride she says, “Ladis was the best ever artist of his times who actually posted his works to Goa, for his friends.”
