Cres D´Sylva . Poplar Grove Illinois Artist.
Artist Statement:
My art work is influenced by my various experiences of travel and study in Europe, Scandinavia, N. Africa and a few Asian countires.
I have also lived for 10 months in Denmark in 1984 & more than 10 years in each of the following countries: India, Australia , Mexico & now permanently in USA since February, 2001.
I did my schooling at the St. Bedes Anglo Indian High School in Madras
( Chennai), India. Later, I studied for my Associates in Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, before immigrating to Australia in Jan 1991 with just US $ 8.00 in my pocket. Good friends & the St.Vincent de Paul Society in Sydney, helped me settle in. After I got a job, I was enjoying my stay in my new found country.
The following year I got my Australian citizenship. I lived in Australia for 15 years working for the Department of Defense in Sydney. After working for the Australian Government for 10 years , I was able to take long service leave & LWOP, so I went to live in Copehagen, Denmark for 10 months in 1994. I decided Australia was not the best place for business, so in 1986 after a visit to Mexico, I decided to go and live there for 14 years where I was in business for myself: I was exporting wine to Denmark & later, tropical fruit: Okra, Avacado Hass & Persian Seedless lime to specialty importers in Europe.
For the sake of my children’s education & future employment prospects, I decided to come to USA in Feb 2001, to live here permanently with my 4 daughters in Illinois. I worked as a Bilingual Data Technical Coordinator for a large telecommunication company, Verizonwireless for fourteen and a half years, before I decided to retire in June 2015.
Art And Cultural Studies:
I studied for my Art Diploma at the East Sydney Technical College, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia in 1978. After that, I also did a special course on ¨Design & Decoration in Ceramics¨at the same college.
Besides going to ESTC, I also took a course in Ceramics at the ( then) Woollahara – Waverly Arts Center in Woollahara, a suburb of Sydney, studying under master Austrian – Australian Ceramist Trudie Albert for one year.
Photography: I took an advanced photographic course on ¨The Esthetics of Photography¨at Sydney University – WEA
1984: Living in Denmark, I joined the Dansk Nikon Camera Club in Copenhagen & took a few advanced photography courses at the club. I participated in our annual group photographic exhibition at the end of the year at the Galerie Gammel Strand in Copenhagen.
1984: University of Copenhagen, Studieskolen, Denmark : Danish language and culture.
1986: UNAM. The National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City: Spanish language and culture.
Exhibitions:
1979: In Australia , I had various group exhibitions, including East Sydney Technical College Annual Art Show. The Woollahara – Waverly Annual Ceramics Show.
1984: Dansk Nikon Camera Club annual exhibition at Galerie Gammel Strand in Copenhagen, Denmark
1986: My first solo international exhibition was at the Galerie Gammel Strand, in Gammel Strand, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1986. Some of my recent group exhibitions were a group exhibition at the Golan Liberman Contemporary Art Gallery in Rockford, Oct. 2008.
Another one of my paintings, Elton John With Piano was selected for display at the Freeport Art Museum Juried Exhibition VII , November 12th, 2010 to February 5th, 2011.
2018: More recently my painting, Macabre Massacre With Machetes, got selected for the Freeport Art Museum 15th Annual Juried Exhibition held on Nov 17th, 2018 till Feb 15th , 2019 at Freeport , Illinois.
2019: In April 2019, four of my paintings was selected for displayed at the Rockford Art Council Spring Art Show in Rockford City Hall, Rockford Illinois.
2019: Two of my paintings were selected for the Rockford Art Guild – Annual art show at the William Reif Gallery at Womanspace . 3333 Maria Linden Dr. Rockford Il 61114 – July 2019 through September 2019. Another one of my paintings is at the Underground Gallery , State St. Rockford, Illinois.
2019- October: My art work, Tequila Sunset got selected for the Freeport Art Museum 16th Juried Exhibition, Nov 15th, 2019 to Feb 15th, 2020.
2020 : Luxembourg Art Prize 2020. Pinacotheque. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Dec 1st, 2020.
2021: Luxembourg Art Prize 2021. Pinacotheque. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Dec 1st 2021
2022 : SOLO Exhibition : June 24th – August 14th, 2022 – William Reif Gallery at Womanspace . 3333 Maria Linden Dr Rockford Il 61114.
2022: August 10th – August 14th 2022. Boone County Fair. Art & Crafts Exhibition. Fairgrounds Road. Belvidere Il 61008. My painting The Colored Steps 1 got the 3rd prize at the art show.
2022: November 16th 2022 to February 15th 2023 – Freeport Art Museum 121 N Harlem Ave Freeport IL 61032.
2024 : August 5th – August 9th 2023 . Boone County Fair. Fairgrounds Rd Belvidere Il 61008. Art & Crafts Exhibition.
2023: January – February . SOLO Exhibition : Katies Cup Cafe & Bookstore 502, 7th Street Rockford Il 61104. Open 8.00 AM to 2.00 PM.
2023 : June . SOLO Exhibition at the Beloit Art Center 520 E. Grand Ave. Beloit WI 53511.
2024: May 11th – July 20th – Freeport Art Museum 121 N Harlem Ave. Freeport Il 61032.
2024: October. Beloit Art Center WRAP- Wisconsin Regional Art Program. 520 E Grand Ave WI 53511. My painting The Colored Steps got a Honorable Mention at the show.
2025. May – June : SOLO Exhibition : Katies Cup Cafe & Bookstore. 502 7the Street Rockford Il 61104 . Open 8.00AM to 2.00PM
2025: SOLO Exhibition: October – November- December : Beloit Public Library 605 Eclipse Blvd. Beloit WI 53511 . Open 9.30 AM to 9.00 PM.
My paintings depict an eclectic mix of myriad colors & precisely drawn shapes that are well balanced within the painting. I use the skills I learned at engineering college when designing my shapes on the paintings. I am greatly influenced by the Mexican culture & folklore. Especially the brightly colored dresses of the Oxaca people from Mexico.
My paintings burst out with life, vitality and excitement. They are a joy to behold and uplifting to the spirit. My art work is influenced by other abstract artists like Bridget Riley, Yaacov Agam, Frank Stella , Edward Hopper and architects like Jorn Utzon, Santiago Calatrava etc, The color panels in my paintings are interwoven to give a more organic, wholesome, balanced but modern touch to the art work.
My work is presented to you for your visual enjoyment.
Creswell D’sylva
Tel: 815-765-1372
www.cresdsylva.com
High quality digital prints of all my artwork are available for sale.