A fascinating exhibition covering a lifetime’s work of one of the leading female modern Portuguese artists, Maria Helena de Silva (1908-1992); indeed some consider her to be Portugal’s greatest modern artist.
Starting with work that is reflective of modernist styles of the time, she developed her own style taking architectural scenes are interpreting them with abstract techniques, in which the essence of the buildings, whether outside or inside, can still be seen. Indeed, for me, it is her interiors that are the most fascinating as she blasts the spacious interiors into a myriad of coloured shapes and patterns, in which people merge into the architectural forms, perhaps reminding us that architecture and people go together – too many architectural photographs and images are devoid of people as they make the architectural lines ‘untidy’!
‘Perspective is a way of playing with space. I take a lot of pleasure in look at space and its rhythms. The architecture of a city has connections to music. There are long notes, and short notes. There are small windows, and large windows.’ (Maria Helena de Silva).
