When
she was just 14 years old, Stacy Rodrigues was diagnosed with Stargardt
disease, an inherited condition that caused the gradual bilateral decrease in
vision to barely 20 per cent. Blessed with a fighting spirit, she explored
various creative options before trying her hand at painting and poetry writing.
She along with the National Association for the Blind will be organising her
third exhibition, ‘The World Through My Eyes’ which will be inaugurated on
October 12, 2016 and will be on display till October 14, 2016 at Kala Academy, Campal-Panjim.
The
exhibition will feature 50 paintings in acrylic and charcoal. “I am very
nervous and I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about my first
exhibition in Panjim. I titled the exhibition ‘The World Through my Eyes’
because that is how I look at life, with positivity, and how there should be
acceptance, equality and peace in society,” says Stacy. The exhibition has
paintings and drawings of landscapes and abstract art.
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It
is a challenge for Stacy to connect with nature, yet she uses her imagination
to paint. “I always wanted to connect to nature and animals. Living in Siolim,
I was able rescue birds and as I held them and felt their shape and wings, I
was inspired to portray that on canvas and paper. When it comes to nature, though
I cannot see it too well, I can imagine the wind blowing through the trees. My
mother, Agnes, describes nature for me by telling me that I am standing
opposite a mountain that has a misty look, or maybe a structure on it; she
describes the colours of the greenery and shades of nature… But when I start
painting, I get completely engrossed in my own colours. My mother gives me the
colours I ask, which I mix to get the shades using the balance between black
and white.”
Stacy,
the youngest of three, is the daughter of Agnes and late Saby. There is more to
come from Stacy’s paintbrushes and canvas as she has already started working on
her next collection of paintings. “I will be focusing on charcoal as it is as challenging
as paint and also because I will be giving finer details on each of my works.
Since it will be something that catches the attention, it is a big challenge
for me to get the details right. I have a picture in my mind which I want to
get out on canvas, which then helps me write a poem or a song,” adds Stacy, who
has written 48 poems that were compiled into a book, titled, ‘Reflection’.
Stacy
was felicitated at the We Care Festival 2015 by the Governor of Goa. She also
released the second edition of her poetry book, ‘Reflection’, in 2015. She will
be representing Goa for the Princess of India contest that will commence next
month.
She had dreams of becoming
a writer or journalist but a counsellor advised her not to strain her eyes.
“Painting turned out to be an exercise for my left eye which received more
damage after I was hit by a basketball at school. I tried various doctors in
India and abroad but the disease cannot be cured. I have check ups every six
months and it is a constant process to check my vision,” says Stacy, who uses
her left eye for painting and mixing colours.
The World Through My Eyes will be inaugurated on
October 12, 2016 at Kala Academy, Panjim at 5pm
