Goan artist
Liesl Cotta De Souza is well versed at combining a traditional technique with a contemporary medium.
Drawn to textiles and sewing, both of which have been traditional
preoccupations for women through the ages, Liesl integrates these into her
artwork in a novel way. She explores the use of thread and appliqué on printed
fabrics, even as drawing remains an integral part of her work, and uses the
process of creating a pictorial surface by stitching with thread on fabric.
“The use of printed
fabrics as a base or rather a background for my work was spurred from my
surroundings. Seeing women wear clothes with varied prints highlighted and
unleashed various aspects of the character for me. I sit and interpret people at
any given opportunity. Also, natural elements like wind, water, etc add to the
movements in the design on the clothes people wear and these also intrigue me,”
says Liesl of her unusual artistic idiom.
And so, in the
artist’s most recent showing, we have a colourful assortment of lively images.
There is the insouciant girl with her defiant umbrella in the rain, the beauty
of a sun soaked beach, the languorous sensuality of a reclining woman; women
hanging out clothes to dry or huddling together for a gossip session. Playful,
contemplative, sensual, routine – there are many moods and varied scenes that
emerge under Liesl’s skilful mastery.
“How did she do
that?” is a common refrain heard through the gallery. Viewers are often
surprised to come across her paintings and encounter rows of coloured thread
and stitches. It is completely unexpected. Trained as a painter, Liesl
translates that ability into another medium to fully express herself. She
starts her artistic process by first drawing the image and then using printed
textile as well as stitching to accentuate different areas of the composition.
The threads come together to reflect form, dimension and depth.
For Liesl, thread is
the paint and textile, the canvas she employs, to capture the stories of women.
The simple images show everyday ordinary characters.
Says Liesl, “In most
cases I do not find it necessary to interpret my works because I attempt to
present the visual delights of life through the feminine form. The underlying
layers of thread and fabric express my interpretation of the mundane world and
the urban attitude we put up with. I have been trying to talk about domestic
chores and other issues through my works.
“I am inspired from
observing the varied nuances of life, particularly in women. The surfaces of my
work flow, as my thoughts wander around the subject; they are stitched as if I
am drawing, the direction of every stitch, coming only from an artist who has
used the pencil and the brush so extensively. Considering the vastness of the task
of building up an area with stitches, to me is a fascinating process.
Ultimately, my finished work operates in precisely the same way as any painting
or drawing – it is to be hung on the wall.”
Liesl’s passion for
textile, fabric, embroidery and painting led to her combining her loves into
one signature style that brings them all together.
Her
work reminds one of their grandmother, of times gone by, of a quieter time, of
peace and quiet. In times of instant gratification and hectic time-bound
deadlines – this is slow, time consuming, absorbing work painstakingly created
and glowing with colour and dimension.
