India with its burst of colours, cacophony and the unexpected moments of solitude that one encounters, can either make one fall in love with it, or put them off. For Miguel Barros, the former holds true. He visited India in 1988 and the experience was captured on his canvas.
The Portuguese artist keeps returning to the country because the people, the atmosphere, the exchanges nourish his soul. His painting series, India in My Dreams, will be displayed at the Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) that starts from Friday at YASHADA.
Barros, who likes painting in oils, describes his first visit to India as a ‘miracle’. “It was 1988, and I really fell in love with the country, the people, the ambience, the nature, the soul and the living spirit that I could feel in the air. Till then, I thought that it was possible to encounter all these sentiments in books, or in our imagination, when we close our eyes and dream about good vibes. All these feelings and sensations were like a new breath, a new world, an open door to let in experiences and hopes, into my soul. It was the beginning of a new inspiring world, and for me, it was a new opportunity of life!” he exclaims.
When asked if the painting collection is a work in progress, the artist replies, “I didn’t add more paintings to this project. Yet, in a way, I know this will always be a working project for my own life. India is, all the time, present in my colours, in my soul, in my approach, in how I express myself through my paintings. It is indeed my muse that always embraces me, drives me through my inner world!”
To Barros, India is an extraordinary example of peace and harmony in the world. “India shows that it is possible to live and gather together all kinds of different, cultural perspectives. It tells me that peace is the essence of life and respect is the path to get the real sense of peace!” he adds.
In his travels, Barros visited Goa, Daman, Diu and those visits helped him understand how the passage of time influenced two unknown cultures. “They served to remind me what we all are now, and showed me that it is possible to make a better future for all of us in the world. We can live in peace and harmony, without forgetting the past, the history. Nelson Mandela used to say, ‘Never change the past, because our past is what made us that we are today’.
His first exhibit depicted this history about the meeting of two different cultures. Barros went on to explore many more projects about India, and got an opportunity to learn more about its extraordinary culture and traditions. “My paintings are abstract. I am always trying to find that essence of peace that I feel when I am in India. It’s hard to explain, that’s why I try to put this idea in colours!” he says.
The artist hasn’t had much time to plan and meet Indian artists on his visits here as he wants to travel through the country. “I’ve not kept in touch with Indian artists when I was there. I was all the time running around the country, and even if I met some artists, those were random encounters. Through Facebook and other virtual supports, it is easier to stay connected and share experiences, create common, collective projects, gather together utterly, diverse experiences and perspectives of life,” he adds.
His ‘India in My Dreams’ series has been received well back home and it was something that he had never imagined. Always the one to derive a lesson, the artist remarks, “It makes me understand that we all should be working on our gifts, talents. We have this obligation to do our best.”
