CT artist to exhibit in Lisbon

Cape Town - A chance visit to an art gallery in Lisbon led to Cape Town artist Adrienne Silva’s first exhibition in this city.

Silva and her husband John visited Lisbon in December 2009 where they found themselves strolling around between shops and art galleries on a winters evening.

“The businesses stay open till late and we were attracted by the light and the warmth that was beaming from one of the galleries” said Silva.

“We could see that it was art that we would like and stepped in.  A serious Latin looking woman smoking a big coiled pipe sat inside. It was Ana Paula Cabral, the owner of the gallery.”

It seemed that Cabral had previously lived in Mozambique, and is one of many Portuguese who still has ties with friends and family in southern Africa.

“She spoke about her deep longing for the Saudades de Africa do Sul – as she referred to it in Portuguese. I showed her a couple of photo’s of the art that I was working on, including one titled, In search of my roots and meaning.”

Portugal

A week later, the Silva’s walked passed the shop again when Cabral called them in. She was busy writing a newsletter to her clients telling them about the South African artist and her husband whom she had become acquainted with.

A year later, Cabral wrote to Silvas inviting her to exhibit in her gallery with artists Isabel Fiadeiro and Jirina Nebesarova. The Consulate General in Cape Town, Jorge da Fonseca, wished Silva the best of luck and from the beginning gave his full support in helping her with all the arrangements to ship about 20 paintings to Portugal.

The Silva’s will travel to Portugal in early June where the exhibition will be held from 8 July until 6 August at the Paula -Cabral Galeria de Arte in Rua do Seculo. The title of her exhibition is - Breathe in the Future, Breathe out the Past, Savour this Moment until it Lasts (Bonobo).