The Olhão Artist Initiative is holding an exhibition of the intimate and often compromising art of self-portraiture with 15 well-known local artists, allowing the public a no-holds-barred insight into the self-image of the highly creative mind.
Organiser, artist Cecilia Carter, writes that “Through the ages, the self portrait has provided artists with a readily accessible human model.
“Moreover, the making of a self portrait is a reckoning with artistic ability to date, objectivity, and emotional and psychological presence.
“The honest self portrait renders the artist quite vulnerable, and that is probably why it is more seldom seen in exhibitions than other subject matters. In these modern times, obsessed with self-image, this exhibition presents a personal and considered view of self seen through the artist's eyes.”
The build-up to this event often has been tense with the creation of self-portraits a difficult and unnerving experience for some of these well-known artists who, none-the-less, are prepared to allow us a peek at what goes on in their minds when they are considering ‘self’ and transferring that image to canvas or paper.
This exhibition of artistic ‘selfies’ has been contributed by many artists based in and around Olhão, the artistic capital of the region, with refreshingly varied disciplines and countries of origin.
Paulo Serra, Justine Albronda, Nada Mandelbaum, Vicente Brito, Thessa Van Der Voort, Antonia Williams, Jeffrey Carter, João Brito, Jill Stott, Rebecca Hutchinson, Edwin Hagendoorn, Otelo M.F., Diederik Vermeulen, Cecilia Persson Carter, and Meinke Flesseman each have been busy creating their three self-portrait submissions for the public’s guilty pleasure.
This free exhibition is open to the public on Saturday, October 8th from 11:00 to 18:00, and Monday, October 10th to Friday, October 14th from 16:00 - 18:00 each day.
The location is in a house two doors up from Olhão's main Post Office at number 29, Avenida da Republica 8700-308.
