Bengaluru hosts Goa’s De Sousa Family with A Separate Reality

A Separate Reality, currently underway in the city, showcases the artistic stylings of the Goa-based De Sousa family

Three artists, three distinct styles, one family. Meet the De Sousas — Francis, Verodina and Nadia — whose works are on display at Gallery Time And Space. Through their work, one not only gets a glimpse of life in Goa, but also an insight into human nature. Tinged with equal parts of humour and reality, this familial display of creativity will have viewers either wanting to revisit their favourite beach town or wondering how human beings can be the same everywhere, or perhaps both.

Over a phone call from Goa, the family spoke about their work, their lives and A Separate Reality, their first-ever exhibition together. Excerpts:

“There’s always space to keep improving, keep growing, and the subject matter is what I see in my day-to-day life,” says Francis De Sousa. “It’s not that I’m not bothered by what happens in the political arena, but I choose not to display it in my work. I choose to take a diametrically different direction, where I paint a better picture, with hopes and dreams of a better life.”

Most of Francis’ works such as The Salesman or The Fish Eaters are a simple depiction of the quiet life in a small town. Brightly and boldly executed in watercolour, gouache and acrylic, one can easily relate to the everyday images. Others such as Lonely in the Garden, The Painter or First Date, have you looking inwards.

“What do you do on a holiday? You are in a quiet place, not asking any deep philosophical questions about life. That’s the sort of thing I try to portray. I don’t consciously think of my work in terms of style. I just paint the way I can.”

“I enjoy colour and that is why most of my pieces are so colourful,” he says, adding, ”One of my hobbies is to collect paints and I have brands from all over the world. When you are selling your work, you have to give your clients the best — the best material, paper and paint. There is never any compromise on that.”

Most of the works on display at A Separate Reality were created for this show, says Francis, who last had a show in Bengaluru in 2008. “I draw almost incessantly and perhaps, out of four or five images, one of those turns into a painting.” He adds that his subject matter is never pre-decided as, “I feel that that would limit me.”