Different

Eric Weets, Belgian artist born in Marksmen, Belgium, in 1951, could well be termed as one of those Bohemian artists whose dream is to shack up in a room in Paris by the Seine and paint to his heart's content. Stocky, bearded and pony-tailed, he may come through as a trifle unconventional, but his art works are incredible in their detail, moving and stirring in feel, disturbing and disquieting. He paints figures in intricate detail, brooding and contemplative, but his paintings go much deeper. There is an element of surrealism, - the more one looks at it, the more meaning one can glean from it. 

A man who seems "to have done it all" Eric seems to have been caught up in the excesses of the early 70s when the hippie movement proclaimed a new world order of love, peace and all things beautiful. A musician by vocation, he dabbled in many aspects of his much-loved music before he decided to be an artist full-time including being involved in composing music for theatre and stage productions. He also pursued the music styles of free jazz and analog synthesizing, but all the while, he returned to his beloved art. 

Ever the free spirit Eric travelled to the Philippines and was totally enveloped by the colours and vividness of Asia. That experience saw a transformation in Eric's art, because he infused the same bright hues into his following works. 

His love of the Far East then took him to India where his life underwent a big transformation. India, in all its spiritual glory, the sights, the smells, the aura, the temples, the life there, completely mesmerized him. He ended up living there and has been for the past nine years. Greatly influenced by Sri Aurobindo, Eric's paintings are reminiscent of the figures atop one another on the Hindu Kovils although there is a difference in their forms. His paintings are not always beautiful, placid or gentle because, according to him, they depict the truth which is not always pleasant, but one thing's for sure, they are absolutely provocative. 

Philomena Pawar, a petite Indian lady of 32, paints brilliant coloured forms. Despite obtaining a Master's degree in Commerce, Philomena shunned the corporate high- flying for a life of paints and canvas. A trip to Belgium and a chance to view the work of the great masters impressed her immensely and she derived inspiration from their manipulation of colours and forms. 

The dominant feature of her work is the creation of coloured objects balanced in two dimensional space, fused into one single composition. Philomena's colours are vivid and striking. She goes for the very bright primaries and there is a refreshing air of frivolity in her paintings, in sharp contrast with Weets'. All in all , they are unique in their form and composition and she says her aim is to "create a visual sensation that is pleasurable" through her works. 

The Weets-Pawar exhibition will go on till December 3 at Paradise Road Galleries at No. 2 Alfred House Place, Colombo 3. 

Maya Vikranthe 

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