Blog Post

The Healing Power of Art

Kate Downes • Aug 31, 2020

Ernesto Vaz shares the process behind his new series

Ernesto Floriano Vaz is one of the newest artists at Watson... his art career, however, goes back decades, as Ernesto has been exploring the wonders and possibilities of colour and shape since he began working from his own studio in the late nineties.

His recent series of "Mark Making" works is a stunning example of the deep meaning and power that can be captured in these pure forms.

Ernesto writes about the process of creating these intricate artworks:

"Mark making for me is about scars from the past…. to create marks over the whole canvas, to express the way I feel.

I start on a blank canvas with a dark colour to represent the dark days. Then I create marks over the entire canvas, using whatever tool I have in my hand at that moment of time. In this case, I used a plastic card.

I then take a very fine brush and use white paint, which represents my childhood. I go over each and every mark, healing every scar on the canvas.

This process takes me about 90 hours, and is very emotional.

When this process is completed and any adjustments made, I am ready to glaze – I will glaze and glaze colours over colours, until I feel that it is emotionally right.

For me, colours are a healing process which brings great joy and happiness."

The images shown above are close-up shots of the artworks, as the jewel-like colours and the impact of the delicate, broken marks can't truly be captured in a photo... if you'd like to see these artworks in person, please get in contactwith us or pop into the gallery.

To see more of Ernesto's work, or to find out more about his art practice and story, take a look at his page on our website.

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