19 Nov 2014 | 11:04pm IST
Angela Trindade ’s Oriental point of view
Emulating her famous
father A X Trindade, Angela
Trindade neverthless forged
her own ‘Trindadism’ style
to make an impact in the
international art world.
Her Indianised Christian
art, which is an
important aspect of
her diverse oeuvre
of paintings, is on
display for the
very first time
in Goa at the
Fundacao Oriente
Patricia Ann Alvares
Notching up the Trindade fame in the art world, Angela
Trindade’s oeuvre of work encompassed both the occidental
and Indian (secular and religious) imprinted with her
individualistic ‘Trindadism’ style. “In the late 1950s, she
evolved a style of her own as she used the Trinity (or triangle)
in her painting to symbolise the brotherhood of man,”
explains historian and author, Fátima da Silva Gracias.
Regonition of Angela’s talent came as early as her
college days. The first Indian woman artist to be granted
a Fellowship by the Sir J J School of Art and gold medalist
at the All India Women’s Artists Exhibition, Angela’s
highest honour came from Pope Pius XII, who awarded
her the papal decoration Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice, for her
contributions to religious art.
Accalimed the world over for an immensely diverse
oeuvre of work that included portraits, landscapes, everyday
scenes and still life, Angela is recognised as one of India’s
foremost artists to Indianise Christian art. “Angela was greatly
influenced by her teachers who propogated revivalism in
India art. This led her to depict western religious figures
in Indian style,” avers Gracias. On another level, it reflects
Angela’s deep religious urgings. By her own admission, her
religious paintings were “the result of an urge to represent
Christ and His Mother to my people in India in a style that
is common to all”. Her Indian style illustration of the Hindi
translation of the New Testament is perhaps one of the best
For the very first time, Goa is honouring its daughter
from Assnora, with a selective exhibition of of her Indianised
Christian art. “Angela Trindade’s work is being exhibited in
Goa for the first time. So it’s a great opportunity for people
to enjoy her work. Also, the religious paintings have been
specifically chosen to coincide with the forthcoming
exposition,” explains Eduardo Kol de Carvalho, Director,
Executed over a period of 18 years (1941-1959), the 19
paintings on display are predominantly in yellow, orange and
a combination of both. “Angela was deeply influenced by
her father who was a great colourist and in these paintings
she has used these three colours with great deliberation
and superlative results. A majority of the paintings are in
watercolour on paper, while four are in China Ink, depicting
scenes from the life of Christ done in one year (1949) and
two oil paintings of the Madonna taken from the ‘Trinity
Series’. In some of these paintings, Angela has made use of
hand gestures (mudras). The most striking feature of Angela’s
work, it is said, is its serenity,” explains Gracias.
Bringing a refreshing perpective to the oriental point of
view, Angela’s Indianisation of Christian Art makes a striking