Please ring to view 020 8464 5816
Antonio Souza – Prints and Canvas
18th July to 18th August
Open evening 1st August 7-9pm
In this exhibition, I aim to showcase three main areas. The series of horses focus on movement, energy, and urgency. The prints which involve people show relationship dynamics and some of the struggles one can face in life. Finally, my landscapes are a study of light and colour.
Biography
Born in Goa, India almost 52 years ago, I spent much of my childhood mesmerised by the changing light which would brighten up a room. Each time a person moved, the way the light struck them would change. I moved to a rapidly developing metropolitan city in South Mumbai at a young age, and saw the construction of numerous skyscrapers in my time there. While some of these buildings were magnificent, I often missed the simplistic beauty of the small houses in my home town of Goa. It was this beauty that inspired me to study art at college and earn an art teaching diploma, eventually completing a thesis exploring the influence of light in art.
During this time, I studied a great deal of incredible paintings and prints but without doubt the artist that has impacted me the most is Vincent van Gogh. He would draw many pieces which were composed simply of houses in the background and simple people in the foreground, yet these people seemed to glow with the light around them. Caravaggio’s Saint Jerome Writing is another personal favourite of mine, with its striking use of colour. The robes worn by Saint Jerome are a beautiful, deep red which contrast with the dark emptiness of the background. Rembrandt, too, is a master of using light in his drawings of figures.
In addition to being an artist, I have also held various other positions. For the last ten years I have been a full-time art teacher, giving lessons to adults and children alike. I have loved inspiring others to take up art, giving them a basic foundation on which they can build and express themselves through art. I have also worked as a set designer for Wizcraft, an international events and entertainment company based in Mumbai.