Indian Expressionist painter Lancelot Ribeiro is a celebrated artist known for his works across various mediums and styles. His vibrant and distinctive painting style made him an influential figure who has left a legacy of artworks that continue to successfully inspire the next generations of artists.

Born in 1933, in Bombay, Lancelot was greatly inspired by the Portuguese Catholic churches in Mumbai and Goa which are recurrent motifs in his works. His early works from the 1950s had a structural and linear aspect because of the influence of the state of Goa. He utilised expressive lines, colours, and textures to showcase the architecture of the city. These works were outlined in bold black strokes, with a prominent black sun overhead and other figures included towers, roofs, church basilicas, and domes with a dark atmosphere.

Ribeiro’s experimental phase began during the 1960s. The artist was in search of a medium and started experimenting with synthetic plastics. He began working with PVA and oil, creating several series of works with geometric patterns as compared to the older works with bold defined lines. These bright works exuded his creative spirit and search for continued liberation through his art. The simmering sun, church figures, and architectural forms were still present but were drawn with a sense of movement. Other works of icon-like heads which were most often of Jesus were influenced by the traditional catholic rituals and paintings of his half-brother F N Souza. This change from structural forms to experimental forms with polyvinyl acetate (PVA) added a new dimension to artistic prowess.

In his private diary notes, Lancelot Ribeiro wrote “I twist and turn, curve and straighten often without aim or result. Just an escape, an escapist thing into painting impulsively, compulsively, endlessly, tired, tirelessly, with or without joy.” Ribeiro wrote in private diary notes. His other works range from surrealist drawings, wood sculptures, compositional townscapes, ceramics, graphic art, and poems. Throughout his artistic career, he expressed his innermost feelings and struggles; which provided the artist with a safe space for reflection with colours and strokes. Explore the richness of Lancelot Ribeiro's original paintings by visiting here . Find the perfect piece to add to your collection.

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