Artist: João Vaz de Carvalho
Website: jvazcarvalho.com
It’s a tough name for non-Portuguese speakers. Worth remembering though, whichever the accent you may give it. João likes to nurture humor and wants his memory filled with daily fun. His characters are instantly recognizable, with their big noses and round eyes, and invite us to have a laugh or, sometimes, examine our thoughts and feelings. What do they say to you?
Who?
João Vaz de Carvalho, 54 years old.
What?
Painter and illustrator.
When?
I rather work during the daytime, as mornings are my most productive time of the day. It’s during the mornings that I feel most alive, creatively speaking. At night, ghosts pop-up from uncertainty and insecurity. Only rarely, when I’m forced to it, do I work during the night. I need some time to accept the artwork I make, so I usually have many projects going on, in different stages. To swap allows me to go back to a halted project, more aware and critical.
Where?
I live and work in Parede, Portugal.
Why?
When I was 28 years old, I abandoned the job I had to dedicate myself exclusively to painting. I didn’t like what I did, and a big unquietness and the need to respect my nature led me to quit that job for the dream of painting. Illustration came later. Being self-taught it was a hard decision for me, risky and irrational, but the truth is I have no regrets.
How?
I usually use acrylics on canvas or paper, but I also use other mediums and techniques, depending on the results I want to achieve. I keep my spirit open to other possibilities that prove to be more useful to intended goals. Contrary to illustration, which normally has a given text or theme, I also produce imagery without a set subject, and that’s an open exercise that gives great freedom and that I absolutely need to go through, because it’s not enough for me to bring to life other people’s motifs.
Find João here:
Portfolio: jvazcarvalho.com
Facebook: joao-vaz-de-carvalho