Ione Saldanha boldly explored new media for her painting with a vigorous and distinguishing use of colour. Saldanha’s Bambus (1960s-70s) are a radical way of pushing the boundaries between artistic languages, giving body and liveliness to painting. By appropriating an element from nature, the very organicity of the support claims its sculptural properties. To produce the Bambus the artist went through several distinct stages. After harvesting the bamboo and allowing it to dry for more than a year, Saldanha sanded it and applied five preparatory coats of white paint. When the time came to fill them with colour, she executed this step all at once. The Bambus invite us to experience colour as we surround them. Hanging from the ceiling, they move subtly, like mobiles, evoking a playful and dynamic feel. The visible light brushstrokes in the thin acrylic paint evidences the sequenced, meticulous movement of the artist’s hand. When arranged in groups, each Bambu is both unique and part of the larger compositional whole.
This is the first time the work of Ione Saldanha is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Laura Cosendey
