Ian de Souza, COW-MOO-FLAGE - call me FLORA, 2016. CowParade PERTH. Photographer: Christophe Canato. Image courtesy of City of Perth, PPAF and ArtsourceCOW PARADE PERTH 2016

Ian de Souza:
COW-MOO-FLAGE -
call me FLORA


  • Commissioner: Perth Public Art Foundation for the City of Perth
  • Telethon Beneficiary/Permanent Home: Starlight Children's Foundation

About

The sustained force of my artistic exploration is the fluid connection between light, line, colour and movement, all present in the unique wild flora of Western Australia. COW-MOO-FLAGE celebrates the coming of spring with the wild abandonment of vibrant colour bringing a sense of joy and fun. The layering and exaggeration of brush strokes creates a sense of understory in the bush – these complementary marks sit in vibrant harmony of form and colour allowing the viewer to be “up close and personal” with an otherwise tiny wildflower! Look for these plants on FLORA: Spider Orchid, Dunsborough Orchid, Sturt’s Pea, Red and Green Kangaroo Paw, Black Kangaroo Paw, Banksia, Geraldton Wax and Eucalyptus victrix.
 

Artist Biography

Ian is a full time practicing artist and educator with an exhibition history spanning 33 years. His approach to his practice is highly disciplined and includes weekly figure drawing sessions and teaching commitments. The sustained force of Ian's artistic exploration is the fluid connection between light, line, colour and movement.

Born in Muar, West Malaysia in 1939 to Eurasian parents of Portuguese, Indian, Chinese heritage, Ian de Souza lived in Malaya and Singapore under both Japanese occupation and British colonial rule for the first 15 years of his life. He migrated to Australia aged 16 to continue his education. Aged 20 he went on to study art at Perth Technical College, and then travelled widely, painting and performing as a musician all over the world for a large part of his life. He lived in the South of France for ten years before settling in Fremantle in 1981. Here, he began to focus intensively on his painting, drawing upon both Western and Asian traditions of art. He remains particularly inspired by the seminal philosophic and spiritual writings of Joseph Campbell (dec). His residence in Fremantle is a work of art in itself; its unique indoor/outdoor living space was the subject of a 2006 American documentary film on unusual homes of the world that continues to be screened at regular intervals on the Discovery Channel and the H and G Channel (USA). It has also featured frequently on ABC-TV Australia. This remarkable home / studio exemplifies who he is. An exhibitor and art educator for over 33 years Ian de Souza’s work is held in private and corporate collections world wide.

View more of Ian de Souza's work in The Gallery >
 

IMAGE: Ian de Souza, COW-MOO-FLAGE - call me FLORA, 2016. CowParade PERTH. Photographer: Christophe Canato. Image courtesy of City of Perth, Perth Public Art Foundation and Artsource.