Ian de Souza is Eurasian, with a rich heritage of Portuguese, Malay, Chinese and Indian culture.

While in his youth he steeped himself in Western painting traditions, as a mature artist he is increasingly drawn back to his Eastern origins. With this merging of a traditional Chinese medium of ink on rice paper with his own inventive method of using it, he has found a way of painting that adds a deeply personal dimension to his creative expression.

Ian de Souza’s arts practice spans 33 years. He is experienced in all mediums, with water-based colours and inks being his preference. Ian ‘s more recent works involve a process of bleeding inks through layers of rice paper, and were inspired by his travels to India, China and South East Asia.

He lived in the South of France for a number of years, before settling in Fremantle in Western Australia in 1981. Here he began to focus intensively on his painting, drawing upon both Western and Asian traditions of art. He remains particularly inspired by the seminal philosophic and spiritual writings of Joseph Campbell (dec).

His residence in Fremantle is a work of art in itself; its unique indoor/outdoor living space was the subject of a 2006 American documentary film. This remarkable home has also featured frequently on ABCTV Australia.

Winner of a number of awards, Ian de Souza’s work is represented in private and corporate collections worldwide.
 
Find out more on his website: www.iandesouza.com.au