Opening September 28, 2023, at 18h30.
We are pleased to announce the exhibition by Bela Silva entitled "Da Vista um Rio", scheduled to open on September 28 at 18:30. The exhibition, organized by the Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva Foundation in partnership with the Rui Freire - Fine Art | Lisboa gallery, will be presented at the Casa-Atelier Vieira da Silva. The exhibition masterfully interweaves the mastery of ceramics and drawing with a sense of history, paying a sincere tribute to the artist couple Vieira da Silva and Arpad Szenes through a unique fusion of Art and Love.
Inspired by the artistic and loving journey of this renowned artist couple, Bela Silva embarks on an artistic adventure that skillfully unites her own creations with the universe that surrounded Vieira da Silva and Arpad Szenes. The exhibition, presented in the premises of Casa-Atelier, where the artists lived and created, transforms the space into a captivating environment that captures the essence of the iteration between art and memory.
The meticulously crafted ceramic pieces capture the nuances of light and shadow present in the Casa-Atelier, while the drawings and tiles bring to life the emotions contained in Vieira's numerous letters to Arpad and vice versa (Escrita Íntima - Maria Helena Vieira da Silva e Arpad Szenes. Correspondence 1932-1961). Bela Silva chose to integrate the original furniture from the Casa-Atelier into the creative environment. Careful observation of the artist couple's collection of personal objects and the use of the words exchanged between them in their correspondence prove to be an inspiring way of evoking the essence of their connection.
The exhibition "Da Vista um Rio" opens to the public on September 28 (Opening) and can be visited until January 21, 2024, from Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 6pm, at Alto de S. Francisco nº1, Lisbon (Jardim das Amoreiras). Admission is free and must be requested at the Museum reception at Praça das Amoreiras nº 56, Lisbon.
For more information about Bela Silva, the Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva Foundation and the exhibition, please visit https://fasvs.pt and www.rui-freire.com. High-resolution images and additional press materials are available on request.
Press contact:
Isabella Noronha,
+351 213 461 525
CASA-ATELIER VIEIRA DA SILVA
Alto de São Francisco, nº 1-3
Jardim das Amoreiras
1250-020 Lisboa
+351 213 880 044/53
About the Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva Foundation:
The Foundation's vocation is to disseminate and study the work of the visual artists Arpad Szenes and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, as well as that of their contemporary artists, intellectuals and friends, both national and foreign, provided that this study proves relevant to understanding the personal or artistic career of both or each of them. To this end, a museum and a documentation and research center have been created, which are open to the public. The objectives of the museum are to exhibit the works of Vieira da Silva and Arpad Szenes, as well as those of their contemporaries; to house and guarantee accessibility to the documentation and research center, with a view to supporting the study of the work of the two artists; to promote exhibitions, colloquia, conferences or events of any other kind, on topics that contribute to the improvement of contemporary art and the development of artistic culture and education; editing and publishing works in the field of the history and criticism of 20th century art; awarding prizes and grants or scholarships to artists and scholars, with the aim of contributing to the development of art and its knowledge; and exchanging with similar national or foreign institutions in the field of their activities.
About Bela da Silva:
Bela Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal.
She studied at the School of Fine Arts in Porto and Lisbon as well as at Ar.Co., attended Norwich Fine Arts in the UK and obtained her MA at the Art Institute of Chicago in the United States.
The artist has exhibited her work at the Ann Nathan Gallery, the Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago, the Azulejo Museum, the Anastácio Gonçalves Museum, the Ajuda National Palace, the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation, the Museu do Oriente, the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. She has participated in exhibitions in China, Japan, Brazil, Spain and France and has held several ceramics workshops in Japan and Morocco. She attended artist residencies at Kohler in Wisconsin, USA, and at the Bordalo Pinheiro factory in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. She has been represented by the gallery Rui Freire - Fine Art, Lisbon, since 2019.
Bela Silva has created several works of public art, integrating her work into the architectural element. Examples include the tile panels for the Alvalade metro station in Lisbon; the panels for the gardens of the Sakai Cultural Center in Japan; the panels for the João de Deus school in the Azores. She has also created numerous murals specially designed for private collectors in Europe and the United States.
Bela Silva has illustrated several books and worked for various magazines, including the New York Times. Over the years, Bela Silva established several partnerships with important international brands such as Hermès - for whom she created one of their emblematic silk squares, based on an original design of her own entitled La Maison des Oiseaux Parleurs. He has also collaborated with Serax, Viúva Lamego, Bordalo Pinheiro, Vista Alegre and Monoprix. In November 2021, she presented a collection of hand-painted porcelain in Paris with the Florentine brand Ginori 1735.
Bela Silva's travels are an inexhaustible source of inspiration that allows her to include local history, culture, and nature in her creative approach. The artist values the link between community and identity, incorporating traditional elements into her works which she reinterprets in a contemporary way.