Exhibitions

This year's hosts are fashion designer and artist Megan Salmon, ceramic artist Pippin Drysdale, painter and sculptor Michael Knight and painter, arts educator and musician Ian de Souza.  Guests artists include ceramic artist Annemieke Mulders, painter and printmaker Harvey Mullen, writer, journalist and photographer Tom de Souza and emerging neon artist George Howlett with George Aitken. Visiting the studios and experiencing how a living space relates to an art practice offers insight into the creative process.

OPEN HOUSE PERTH is back again for 2018 and this year you are invited to enjoy the best of architecture, art and design at Claremont by Mirvac as part of this global event. Gain access to one of Perth's finest new residences, showcasing art from a selection of the state's best, including Jordy Hewitt, Jarrad Seng photography, Matt Hayes MK Tics, Sarah May and Ian de Souza, and decked out in the latest furniture trends from designers and suppliers including Anna Flanders, Henri Living, ULTIMO Interiors, Coco Republic, Oopenspace and Mobilia. All whilst enjoying the expansive views over Claremont and surrounds from these luxury apartments. For more information, visit https://www.lpenhouseperth.net/claremont-by-mirvac22/ Please click on the exhibition list below for images and availability.

DATE: SATURDAY FEB 23 and each following month on allocated dates. March- August also open for registration. TIME: 9am Registration for 9.30 start. Concludes at 3.30pm COST: $150. Inc gst, morning and afternoon refreshments and a light vege lunch. (You are welcome to bring your own lunch). EASELS: Easels with boards and clips are available at the studio. PLACES LIMITED eight RESERVATION Email: idesouza@iinet.net.au Mob: Ros 0438911346 PAYMENT: Visa / MC accepted / DD or receipted cash $50 deposit to hold the place is requested with balance paid on the day.

On Friday we caught the train to Perth with our E-bikes and cycled from the Perth Cultural Centre to Claisebrook Cove to check on "Flora" and her other mates to ensure they were happy.  Claisebrook Cove is a beautiful space and "Flora" seems quite content to be where she is!  We also spotted DAPHNE in the State Buildings (not to be missed) and a few others besides.!  We will revisit as an afternoon is not enough time to get around. The cows are from Crawley to Claisebrook with the CBD inbetween.

The description below is from the CowParade 2016 map info.
COLOURFUL COWS.....
Experience the colour of the CowParade and discover how the artists have transformed and decorated their cows.  Use the City of Perth CowParade 2016 map to make your way around the parade, locate the cows and plan your journey. (said one wag...."it's like cow pokemon"!

Five Community Cows will also be positioned in the City for everyone to come along and help decorate. Spot them in red on  the map.  www.visitperthcity.com.au

There is also AMAZING GRAZING and FESTIVAL FROMAGE - ooo-lala!

WILD SILK - wild flora of Western Australia highlights the exquisite beauty of the Australian bush through the eyes of artist Ian de Souza and his oeuvre. Following on from the "Thematic Partnership" exhibition, selected images have been transposed onto 100% silk crepe de chine fabric and shawl scarves enabling everyone to share in our country's unique landscape. For more information please go to: www.wildsilk.com.au

Enquire at Art Gallery of WA GALLERY SHOP, Fremante Art Centre shop FOUND, L + K Galleries Perth, Subiaco and Caversham.

Also available at www.wildsilk.com.au

Ian de Souza is a passionate advocate of the discipline of drawing. An exhibitor and art teacher for over three decades, MASTERING MOVEMENT is an eclectic mix of subjects based on movement and abstract form that emphasises this artist's expertise. Wild horses of the Larzac in the South of France, the colourful dancers of Bangladesh, graceful and balletic, were the inspiration for this exhibition and reflect the artists recent travels. MASTERING MOVEMENT – Linton and Kay Galleries Brookfield Place Level 1/137 St George’s Terrace Perth, www.lintonandkaygalleries.com.au

In October 2014, Ian and Ros de Souza travelled with Tura New Music's regional Resonance Tour to towns and remote communities in the Kimberley,.  Ian was powerfully moved by the music and landscape.  As he reflected on the experience he realised that the strongest inspiration came from the reaction of and connection to community that the composer/performers and Tura's tour itself created. 

Ian's inspired response to the atmosphere and emotion of the music, the people and the locations he encountered is a dynamic and vibant series of works that resonates with his unforgettable experience as a 2014 Tura Traveller donor.

These spirited and evocative paintings will hep ensure that Tura continues to create those priceless musical encounters, as a significant proportion of the sale of this exhibition will assist in funding Tura New Music's Reflection Tour to Australia's north-west in September 2015.

TURA NEW MUSIC
For over 25 years Tura New Music has been the creative force behind new music and the sonic arts in Australia.  Based in Perth, it provides a platform for the creation and presentation of new music, enriching our lives with extraordinary challenging and innovative cultural experiences.

Nestled securely in the driveway of his Fremantle home  Ian's new studio is both work area and exhibiting space.  Positioned at the entrance to the property it maintains a separateness from the main living area by small courtyards, reminiscent of the artist's  Asian heritage.

Visitors to the space are intrigued as rarely is one privy to entering an artist's space. A central sliding partition acts as a division between the entry corridor and the private space.  The partition also acts as an easel and can be raised or lowered depending on the size of the work-in-progress canvas.

If you would like to view this space and learn more about the art - please email for an appointment or,  contact Linton and Kay Galleries.   (idesouza@iinet.net.au)

CircusWA @ the J was an integration of the arts initiative  fun(d)raiser hosted by CircusWA and the J-Shed Studios in conjunction with Sculptor Greg James, Photographer Peter Zuvela and ceramicist Jenny Dawson on Sunday 15 June.  Senior trainers and performers twisted, swirled, juggled and "hooped" to to the delight of the audience.

Zeus smiled on the fundraiser and the nor-easterly breeeze was was cool, gentle caress on the evening. CircusWA @ the J was prganised by the Board of CircusWA and with the support of the senior trainers at CircusWA (WA Circus School), and the Fremanatle  business community.

EXHIBITION STORYLINE:
From his earliest watercolours that capture Fremantle's renaissance of the 1980s, to his more recent works inspired by an abiding interest in music and dance, Ian de Souza has been an active and enduring presence on Western Australia's art scene. Having devoted most of his adult life to making art, Ian has much to reflect on.

Ian de Souza - Introspection will take a critical look back over the artist's long and prodigious career as a self-trained artist, presenting a selection of artworks that trace the evolution of the artist's creative skills, motivations and self-knowledge over three decades.

Curator Catherine Czerw hopes the exhibition provides an opportunity for both new audiences and loyal followers to enjoy a fresh look at various bodies of Ian de Souza's past work while being offered a wider view on the artist's changing relationship with his muse and materials.

Works from the artist's personal collection will be released for sale.

Please join Ian de Souza and Catherine Czerw for an informal Q & A with the artist and curator in a wonderful opportunity to gain a further insight into this exhibition.
SUNDAY: 3 Nov - 2pm (Ian de Souza)
WEDNESDAY: 6 Nov - 2pm (Catherine Czerw)
SATURDAY: 9 Nov - 2pm (Ian de Souza & Catherine Czerw)


Feature art work on invitation:  Rhythm of India iii (oil on canvas)

Australian artist Ian de Souza,  at the invitation of Mr Francis Wong Hooe Wai of  the Capitaland Group,  recently presented highlights from his course "The Art of Life" to the staff arts special interest group at the Capitaland Group building in central Singapore.

The Capitaland Group are strong supporters of the Arts in Singapore and encourage staff to  develop art appreciation.  The staff arts special interest group meet monthly and Ian de Souza's presentation was part of the July programme.  

Ian de Souza was born in Malaysia and educated in Singapore and Australia.  His arts practice spans thirty years.  He places a strong emphasis on the the skill of drawing . The staff arts special interest group are keen  to attend one of Ian's drawing workshops when he next visits Singapore.

Perth's latest dining sensation, the FIRE WATER GRILLE  opened 18th February at the DUXTON.

Fabulous food -an  elegant and comfortable setting - with  supper club ambience - this dining sensation remains open until 2am.

 Fire - Water - air -  earth and "ether" - that indefinable magic that connects them all.

In July Ian de Souza visited the Sutra Foundation in Kl to meet Director/Master Ramli Ibrahim.  His aim was to research Odissi, the exquisite Indian classical dance from Odisha, India,  which has stirred the imagination of Malaysians.  Sutra has not only pioneererd the projection of Odissi in Malaysia, but also that of dance as a compelling component of the range of contemporary performing and visual arts.

The young artists in this picture are observing Ian de Souza as he gives a lecture on finding the essence of a composition using  "line".  Their art works are part of LEGACY RECLAIMED, shown at the Sutra Gallery July/August 2012.
www.sutrafoundation.org.my

..."Butoh has a primordial quality.  It is dark.  It is generated somewhere in the lower strata of the subconscious, in the murky areas of personal prehistory.  Memory it its source..."
..."The origins of Butoh reside in a wild land inhabited by elemental spirits, which the rational mind cannot reach"...
<sub>Mark Holborn - Essay on Tatsumi Hijikata and the origins of Butoh    BUTOH - dance of the Dark Soul

Tatsumi Hijikata</sub>:  "there is no philosophy before Butoh"...._{BUTOH - dance of the dark soul}

Art Collector - OFF THE WALL -  is a selection of recent works in progress.  Some pieces  will form part of the next exhibition planned for late 2012.  The artist  works on several pieces simultaneously, using different mediums.  A theme making itself known as his work progresses.

Ian de Souza  creates large oils in his home garden studio and  inks on rice paper in his studio at ARTSource in the CBD of Fremantle.

Drawn Together - the art of life in Fremantle EVENT is a 9 day drawing feast where artists, students and the general public meet and draw.

There is a daily program.  Upstairs in Gallery 4 are LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS 10am - 12.30 and 1pm - 3pm.

Down stairs in Gallery 1 and 2 are scheduled events where body builders, dancers, musicians and singers permit themselves to be the subject on the canvas!   Lectures and films on the subject of the body culture are also scheduled.

In these latest works of Western Australian floral forms Ian de Souza has developed a way of painting that allows him to explore increasing abstraction.

He combines the ancient Chinese art of painting on rice paper with a tradition-breaking method of his invention.  de Souza is of Portuguese, Malay, Chinese and Indian heritage.  Merging a traditional Chinese medium with his own inventive method of using it, adds a deeply personal dimension to his creative expression.

Ian de Souza and Garry Zeck combined exhibition of pure colour and floral forms.

Inks on rice paper by Ian de Souza ; hand crafted pots by Garry Zeck

A celebration of Western Australian native flora

In July 2009 it was “Lodeve Revisited” with de Souza’s first showing in Europe at the gallery O Marche du Palais. Held during the famous Summer poetry Festival Les Voix de la Mediteranee, the exhibition was well received by the media and the viewing public. For de Souza it was more a personal journey of coming full circle as this was the region where he first started to paint 30 years ago.

De Souza is of Portuguese, Malay, Chinese and Indian heritage. While in his youth he steeped himself in Western painting traditions, as he matures as an artist he is increasingly drawn back to his Eastern origins. With this merging of a traditional Chinese medium and his own inventive method of using it he finally feels he has found a way of painting that adds a deeply personal dimension to his creative expression.

...the subject matter for silk and saris is a departure from previous exhibitions.  As the title suggests, there are two threads. Silk draws its inspiration from the circus aerialists who practice and perform in the large space adjacent to de Souza's studio in Fremantle. Saris has an equally local starting point.  Galvanized by an idea for an exhibition, de Souza travelled to India to study and photograph classical Indian dancers.  Perhaps fortuitously, his trip didn't coincide with the season for dance.  Back home, he attended an evening of traditional Indian dance at John Curtin College of the Arts and these local dancers satisfied de Souza's expectations.  It s from that evening that Saris was created...
_{(extract from curatorial essay by Jody Fitzhardinge)}

Butoh, tango and flamenco on canvas and paper. “I’ve been inspired to create the Body of Dance exhibition from my life long interest in music and dance. I’ve held a strong fascination for the human body and all its unique expressions. The human figure is so amazing and expressive, especially in dance and the only way to capture the movement of the body is to draw it quickly. The strokes of the brush are as fast as the actual movement of the body."

Reminiscent of the festivals of the European Summer Solstice this exhibition of "9 x 5" works celebrates dance in all it’s form. Latin music and a tango demonstration on street level enhanced this exhibition.

A melting pot of art, tapas, tango and Latin music - all with the flavour of Fremantle

from ballet to butoh with latin movements inbetween, Body of Dance 1 featured 24 exquisite works in chinese inks, collage, oils and acrylics that reflect the artist's passion for music and dance.

Body of Dance 1 was opened by actor and fellow artist Robert Coleby

Oils on canvas, inks of rice paper. Passion implies many levels of meaning and experience. The passion of the artist through the medium; passion as an abstraction implied in the titles and the various passion of the viewer’s aesthetic experience. All, however, are about deep feeling and universal experience. These are indeed, works of passion.

...Ian de Souza is one of Western Australia's leading artists.  A painter and exhibitor for over twenty years he has an exotic background inherited from Malaysia, Macau and Portugal.

An extensive traveller with some intermittent years on the international music circuit in Europe and the Middle East, Ian has resided for forty years in WA.

His whole life has been deeply immersed in music and painting.  The passion of his music informs his painting in a marriage of the sacred and the profane nature of love and in time honoured ecclesiastic subjects he explores the distillation of spirit from matter.

Ian de Souza's career can be traced through prestigious publications, cinematic documentaries and commissioned book illustrations.  With many years exhibiting nationally and internationally Ian de Souza's work is represented in major private and public collections both in Australia and abroad.

He lives in Fremantle, Western Australia and is actively involved in local music and the lively Fremantle art scene.

_{Rosemary Hunter: painter / writer 2005}

The "Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ" was a finalist in the 2007 MANDORLA ART AWARD. 

The representational image of Jesus the human man is clear in the first frame and as the ink bleeds through successive layers of rice paper,  it transforms into an abstracted image; a representation of the Spirit risen to be at one with God. 

The ink was applied to the top sheet of rice paper and bled through the underlying layers delicately  changing the image from realism to abstraction.  Both the process of making the work and the work itself reflects the title which in turn represents the  belief that is central to the Christian faith.

From the artist's earliest days in a minor seminary college in Galong NSW he has painted ecclesiastical works.  In these time honoured  subjects the artist explores the distillation of spirit from matter.

He remains particularly inspired by the seminal philosophic and spiritual writings of Joseph Campbell (dec'd) _{author Power of Myth}

One day a month Ian de Souza will host an intensive one-day drawing and painting workshop in his garden studio, based on understanding the figure. Ian has restricted participants to eight only. The focus will be on the process without aiming for an end result. Suitable for artists, students of art and those who wish to experience a more abstract way of understanding their creativity. Cost: $150 inc gst - visa/mc/ direct deposit / receipted cash. Easels and clips provided. Participants may bring their own. A materials list will be forwarded on registration. Vegetarian lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided Time" 9am registration. 9.30am start. 3.30pm concludes. email: idesouza@iinet.net.au or call Ros 0438911346

For 25 years Ian de Souza has  coordinated weekly figure drawing sessions.  He conducts  "studying the figure" master classes for the University of WA extension programmes; is an invited  lecturer in the Kidogo Arthouse scholarship programme,  and Claremont School of Art.

http://vimeo.com/channels/thesixonesixohhh

A CLEVER SOLUTION Behind these two artworks is a large tv screen. At the press of a button the two artworks separate to reveal a high definition black screen. When viewing is completed, the two artworks converge to make one image.

COWPARADE PERTH 2016 - presented by the Perth Public Art Foundation and the City of Perth includes 40 cow sculptures, created by a diverse range of West Australian artists, placed across locations throughout the Perth CBD for a 6 week public activation period.

Experience the colour of the CowParade and discover how the artists have transformed and decorated their cows.  Use the online map to make your way around the parade, locate the cows and plan your journey.  Five Community Cows will also be positioned in the City for everyone to come along and help decorate.  (It's like a cow pokamon)!

While you are on the journey you can experience some of Perth City's mouth watering culinary creations and special retail offers with AMAZING GRAZING  and the FESTIVAL FROMAGE (11-13 Nov)

www.visitperthcity.com