Royaat Gallery’s latest show features fantastic works by Italian painter Maurizio Bosheri who has held exhibitions around the world. Bosheri draws his inspiration from the tropical, lush landscape of South Asia.
Bosheri’s work is not only a testament to the wonder of nature, but also reflects a transcendent beauty, one that extends the limits of man’s imagination; i.e., Bosheri’s work seeks to capture and depict man’s awe of nature. Bosheri draws with a vibrant colour palate, evocative of hyperrealism.
In this exhibit, particularly striking is his depiction of Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia Bird. He casts its spectacular plums in the same transcendent glow as that of an angel’s wings. Instead of portraying the bird in the backdrop of the horizon, he paints it against a resplendent green, buzzing with the most fantastical forms of life, some of which are airborne while others swim in the primordial ocean’s depths. His ability to merge environments is what allows him to depict nature, in a way that is unfamiliar to a human eye.
Bosheri’s paintings include the fastest land mammal in the world: cheetah. By placing it in a magical realm, Bosheri seeks to restore the mystique and awe of nature, a relationship that has been lost with the increase in encroachment nature by human beings.
Bosheri’s unique ability to bring new dimensions of nature together is also evident by his juxtaposition of mystical animals that, in reality, would not inhabit the same space. For instance, his birds of paradise hover close above the cheetah’s head, a harmony frozen in time that would be instantaneously shattered by motion. However, in his illustration, Bosheri suspends these creatures in space and time, as if he had woven together a different reality – one that allows one to appreciate its timeless beauty.
Bosheri’s figures have myriad layers – an underlying layer through which he creates luminesces or what he calls the flash effect through the use of an airbrush. Then, he outlines the image using oils and acrylic – an overlay that allows him to capture nature’s magic. And, he synthesises the two through his use of decorative symbols, drawing on ancient ritualistic symbols – a dimension that highlights the mystical in nature. In his way, he asks the viewers to preserve nature, as it is precious and under threat.
Boscheri is a self-taught artist and his works are displayed in American, Asian, and European collections. His painting will be on display from 26 April till 10 May, from 11 pm till 7 pm and by appointment.
