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.
Until 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 Engrácia, 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 basically 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’.”
The selected medium for this exhibit is
watercolour on paper and acrylic on canvas, and Deviprasad highlights that he
is not trying to showcase any particular Indo-Portuguese links through his art,
adding, “This is exclusively the documenting of the architectural heritage of Portugal.”
‘My Journey to Portugal’ will be open
for public viewing from August 25 to September 13, 2017 at Carpe Diem Art and
Learning Centre, Majorda
