"A story about a handful of soulful encounters and artistic Muses that have shaped my perspective on the world."
'I have always been a creative soul, in search of.'
My curiosity for the arts compelled me to move to Europe to pursue my search for inspiration. This cultural exposure shed light on some of the greatest artists that came before our time. Revealing their mastery of technique, the choice of subjects they portrayed, and the subliminal messages embedded within their works. I believe that every artwork we encounter possesses a deeper meaning than what initially meets the eye. Its significance is purely determined by how we choose to interpret its message, ultimately dictating its relevance in our lives.
I came to this realization after having read a short excerpt explaining the origins of a 'Muse'.
Throughout history, a 'Muse' is often described as an artistic source of inspiration.
The word derives from the Latin 'inspirare' meaning 'to breathe into'. It is an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or visual sense.
In Greek mythology, the Muses were believed to be the nine daughters of Zeus and were the goddesses who personified the Arts and Sciences. According to mythology, these goddesses would inspire and guide mortal souls in their creative and intellectual pursuits. Their divine presence was thought to be essential for the creation of art, literature, and scholarly works, and they were revered by many ancient Greek poets, artists and philosophers.
I developed a great admiration for this mythology because there have been countless occasions throughout my own life when I have come to experience these profound moments of truth. Incidences when I found myself deeply moved and inspired by something, even when I could not explain the reason why. I sometimes like to romanticize about the notion of a divine, angelic force leaning over my shoulder guiding me in the creative process of expressing my soul. While this may be a mere myth, I firmly believe that when we experience these moments of true inspiration it is often the universe's attempt to communicate directly to our soul, urging us to tap into the most authentic part of our inner-being.
As I pieced together this self-reflection, I have chosen to delve into the various moments in my life when I have encountered a 'Muse'. I believe that a Muse can manifest itself in a multitude of shapes and forms. Whether it assumes the guise of a place, a painting or a person, it bears with it the weight of divine energy of the universe.
'A Place'
Paris, France. 30th August, 2023.
I once traveled with my best friend Asli for a weekend getaway trip to Paris. This trip sparked a lot of ideas behind the creation of my project 'Artsoul' and it heavily influenced the type of artwork I wanted to create moving forward. We dedicated that entire weekend to exploring some of the most renowned art galleries in Paris. Among them, being my ultimate Muse, Gallery d'Orsay. During our time at the exhibition, I found myself endlessly wandering through the grand halls of the French Impressionist movement. It was within this remarkable collection that I encountered the works of celebrated artists such as Alexandre Cabanel, Pierre Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. However, one particular piece, 'The Birth of Venus' by Alexandre Cabanel, captivated my attention.
I gazed up at this masterpiece in complete awe, admiring the timeless beauty and elegance of the mythological Godess, Venus. It was the first time I had goosebumps from experiencing such work. I grew infatuated by the realistic portrayal of romanticism in the painting. Venus emerges from a delicate seashell in all her glory. Her body bathed in soft, radiant light. She is the pure embodiment of grace and sensuality, as her figure exudes an outer-world perfection. Surrounding her were angelic figures and cupids, who playfully welcomed her to the 'earthly realm'. A playful balance between realism and imagination, Alexandre Cabanel somehow managed to spark the purest emotion of joy inside of my soul.
'A Painting'
In addition to my encounter with the 'Birth of Venus', my soul had experienced yet another moment of truth at Musée d'Orsay. As I stumbled upon the mesmerising artwork of Paul Signac; a French Neo-Impressionist painter celebrated for developing the artistic technique of Pointillism. During my exploration of his work, I discerned the subtle distinctions between Pointillism and Divisionism. Divisionism involves the deliberate seperation of unblended colours to create optical illusions, whereas Pointillism specifically refers to the technique in which the artist applies dotted paintbrush strokes onto the canvas. Signac's 'The Papal Palace, Avignon.' was the initial painting that ignited my Muse.
Up close, the painting appeared as an ocean of tiny, unblended dots of delicate hues of purple, orange and green. Stepping back, the image of the palace and bridge gradually materialized against a backdrop of vibrant clouds, and even the building's reflection against the water became discernible. It was this specific painting that led me to the discovery of one of my favourite artistic genres known as the 'Fauvism movement'.
Fauvism is essentially an extension of French Impressionism, however the nuances between the two styles remain in the intention. Impressionism is concerned with capturing the fleeting moment, whereas fauve painters primarily focus on strong expressive reactions to their subject matter. Fauvism can be recognized by its distinguishable bold brushstrokes, brightly saturated colour palette as well as the wild unpredictable dabs of paint. Fauvism was a short-lived movement which mostly thrived between 1905-1910, however this movement sparked new realms of creative expression within the art world. Additionally, it also led to the discovery of the complementary colour theory. Proving that when colours which sit opposite each other on the colour wheel are used together, it can create a strong contrast and an optical illusion of light and dark. Artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derdain were considered the founding fathers of the Fauvist movement, which later paved the foundations for new artistic styles to develop through post-impressionism and cubism.
My Muse for Fauvism stemmed from my own desire to visually express the emotions of my soul. This genre resonated with me because for the first time, I felt as though I have found a technique which allowed me to translate my vivid imagination and creative spirit onto a canvas.
'This is exactly the type of art I aspire to create.' I thought to myself.
'A Person'
Lastly, this 'Muse' has taken the form of a unique individual - a person whose soul illuminated my appreciation for art itself, and even to this day, our friendship remains engraved within my heart. In hindsight, I am immensely grateful this person came into my life, for it was during this chapter of my life that taught me the most invaluable life lesson about the depths of my own soul and my greatest capacity to fall in love with life.
Upon our initial encounter, I found myself in the presence of someone whose passion exceeded even my own, a thought that was both intimidating yet inspiring. It was a refreshing experience to meet someone who not only shared my fundamental core values but also came from an entirely different background than my own. This person was in fact, an artist. Possessing the perspective of an old soul with the expressive style of Jean-Michelle Basquiat meets George Condo. His words and actions were a testament to the idea that art is not merely a medium of expression but a mirror reflecting the complexities of our human experience on this earth. 'Art that transcends mere aesthetics, beyond space and time, that enlightens the soul.'
I am grateful that for a brief moment in time we were able to manifest our dreams together. Among them, opening our first art gallery in Cape Town, South Africa, which we named 'Not A Gallery', reflecting our mutual desire to challenge the expectations associated with what a conventional art gallery experience should be like. This idea was sparked by our deep-rooted passion for both art and hospitality.
During this project, I felt that my passion and purpose began to intersect. I explored my interest for creative design, as I was responsible for conceptualizing and designing the restaurant concept, while he curated the gallery space. We managed to bring this vision to life in just under three months. This endeavour marked a pivotal moment in my journey, allowing me to acknowledge my career aspirations for hospitality concept development.
As our chapter drew to a close, I returned back to Amsterdam to finish my studies, more driven and inspired than ever before. The experience of opening 'Not A Gallery' instilled in me a profound sense of purpose. It propelled me forward, encouraging me to channel my Muse into my next creative project of 'Artsoul' - an eternal symbol of my unwavering commitment to never stop pursuing my passion.
- "Artsoul."
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