the Hydra eye 

The Hydra Eye by Oscar Carvallo

The Municipality of Hydra and the Exibition Hall Melina Mercury, have the pleasure to present an original exhibition by Oscar Carvallo entitled 'The Hydra Eye', in relation to the symbol of ancient Greece where the eye, a magical object , becomes protective.

Oscar Carvallo, a Franco-Venezuelan artist, had a brilliant career as “Couturier “ for more than twenty-five years in Paris. Already very gifted at drawing, a talent which has served him greatly in imagining his creations, he has, in recent years, devoted himself to painting.

Contrary to current trends, he is passionate about the very realistic “Fayoum portraits”, executed from the first to the fourth century, under the Roman Empire.

Fascinated by the history of humanity, the birth of organized societies, the mysteries and the riches of all these cultures which intersect and mingle, he notes that beings have evolved relatively little despite the industrial and technological revolutions. After two thousand years, we find the same faces, the same expressions, the same questions. In the portraits that Oscar Carvallo creates, there is an obsession with painting very present eyes which occupy a prominent place in the face and in a frontal manner. Dark or luminous, always expressive, they are a reflection of the soul and seem to seek the gaze of the viewer to communicate with them.

These portraits, most often painted on wood but also on linen, are made from pigments mixed with beeswax in multi-layers, using the encaustic technique. These superpositions of colors have the effect of obtaining refined, delicate shades which give substance and intensity to the painting. Gold leaf applications for crowns, jewelry, eye shine... enrich and illuminate his painting.

More recently, his painting has shifted towards surrealism tinged with humor.

In this passion, he expresses a certain nostalgia for times past, for the classic and sober work which brings the portrait in its density, its meaning, its humanity to the center of our modern concerns. Here, the mystical and spiritual dimensions are there; the unconscious is at work.

Hélène Farnault