French mural artist enlivens wall with his creations

Skio’s art depicts veiled face of an Indian woman amid geometric patterns

An unremarkable wall patch on Goubert Ave has come to life with human form, geometric shapes and colour, as Paris-based artist Skio showcases his mastery over the mural.

Skio’s three-day exhibition near the Tourism office on the beach has been hosted as part of the French Rendez-Vous festival and the fourth edition of Bonjour India 2022 (March-May) that is coinciding with the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence and Indo-French ties.

The wall art depicts the veiled face of an Indian woman amid a montage of geometric patterns, inspired from modern architecture. “The idea behind hiding the eyes of the subject is to accentuate the aspect of anonymity in urban lives, where a mass of people throng a street as strangers”, said Skio, who is among the important upcoming artists.

Skio worked on his painting from a photograph taken on a street in India, preferring cans of spray paint given the size of the wall patch to acrylic-and-brush. “Street art is a big movement in France. Whether the message is aesthetic or political depends on the individual choice of the artist,” he said and added, “There is no dearth of wall space to express our art in cities”.

To mark the conclusion of the show on Wednesday, Skio was felicitated by French Consul General Lise Talbot Barré, Tourism Secretary T. Arun, Tourism Secretary, Priytarshny, Tourism Director and Satish Nallam, Alliance Francaise president.

Skio’s first murals appeared in 1993 in the Nice region, starting with mural letterings before moving on to figurative romantic topics, fed by pop and TV culture. His works that mix geometrical shapes and realistic portraits featuring obfuscated eyes, question mankind’s coexistence in an urban landscape by creating modern and harmonious aesthetics. The artist’s love for the Bauhaus movement and surrealism have evolved into a style, aiming for a delicate balance between geometry, anatomy and colour. His works, involving spray painting, paintbrushes and digital tools range from large formats on city walls to canvases in his workshop, as well as spatial installations, and have been exhibited in numerous festivals all over the world.