George Camille showcases Seychelles’ vibrant art and culture at La Nuvola in Rome |27 December 2023
A partial view of the exhibition venue
Renowned local artist George Camille recently exhibited at the Fiera Internazionale di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in La Nuvola Rome, Italy.
The Nuvola exhibition is an extension of Seychelles My Soul art exhibition held in Rome from June 9 to 30, 2023, and that of his last solo exhibition at Kaz Zanana.
This was the third exhibition that the Fiera Internazionale di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea held in Rome and it was the first time a gallery from Seychelles was represented.
The opportunity allowed George Camille not only to exhibit his work but also to promote the Seychelles as a destination that engages with a rich and vibrant culture and at the same time be an ambassador for the country.
Comprising some of what art critics may well call Camille’s signature art, these artworks palpably echo the different themes surrounding the challenging time in which they were created. Despite all that, Camille’s work manages to bring some glimmer of hope to humanity and depict some of the coping mechanisms adopted by many.
“The collections of artwork I presented at the Nuvola Art Fair was extremely well received with many visitors commenting on the detailed work and the bold colours and design, especially of the etchings,” Mr Camille stated.
He also spoke about the fact that many visitors to the exhibition reminisced about their holidays to Seychelles and a number of collectors were inspired to have an artwork from Seychelles in their homes.
Contemplating on how he actually felt about the exhibition, Mr Camille conveyed that it was undoubtedly one of the better ones he has exhibited. “It was a fabulous modern space and a great customer base but the logistics of taking work overseas is always challenging.”
He also appreciated the fact that he was the first Seychellois artist to exhibit at the La Nuvola.
Some of Mr Camille’s art exhibited include; ‘A Balancing Act’, which is an acrylic painting on canvas, highlighting the nadir of humanity but with a sense of tenacity and hope; ‘Salacia’ brings out the bright palettes used in this painting as opposed to those used in ‘A balancing act’, which bring some sense of hope and comfort to the heroine of the picture; ‘Company of Strangers’ is the fear of becoming close to people you do not know while still longing for their company and finally, ‘Adrift’ is an original painted sculpture shaped as a coco de mer, an icon, endemic to Seychelles. The painting is a complex and intricate pattern referencing tattoos, with motifs such as the leaves, fish and figures, all drifting in a sea, symbolising the Seychelles archipelago with its vast unique array of biodiversity.
The next challenge in Mr Camille’s distinguished career is to complete a large collection of big scale paintings on canvas for a public space in a new hotel that is opening on Mahé soon.
The accompanying photos show the art works that George Camille exhibited in Rome.
Sunny Esparon
