Public Republic

An interview with Paulo Capelas by Kosara Belnikolova

Paulo Capelas: “God wants, men dream, the master piece arises”

Do you remember how and when you got interested in art?

Since my childhood I’ve shown aptitude with painting, drawing, modeling. I think it’s an innate characteristic. Later, as an adult, I decided that I should try to make art my way of living.

With which of the two did you begin – painting or sculpturing and which do you prefer more?

It’s a difficult question to answer. I started professionally with sculpture, but I like both of them in the same way. It depends of the subject you want to work on, some ideas may work better as sculpture, some others as painting or even the combination of both.

Is there somebody who had influence on your development as an artist? Who and how?

My family has always encouraged me to follow my natural tendencies, the same as some old teachers, and my friends and people who hired me because they trusted me to work in their companies as an artist.

What is your favoutite subject?

I’m not sure if I have a favorite subject, but I tend to work on issues such as the mysterious language of dreams, fantasy, eroticism and freedom.

What inspires you to create art?

Everything really, the universe itself, especially music, science fiction, literature, poetry, philosophy, other forms of art in general, other paintings and sculptures.

Have there been moments when you find it hard to continue with your work? How do you find the motivation to go on?

It’s true that there are moments that everything becomes difficult, especially because art is an activity that requires concentration and calmness but if you really like what you do you always find strength and determination to move forward no matter what happens. And another factor is that when you do something instinctively because you were born for it or you need to. So then, you can’t stop being yourself, because what you do is a part of your life and of what you are.

How do you handle the business side of being an artist?

I divide my work in two parts, one part is the work I do as a creator of models for medals, bronze statuary as busts, portraits, historical figures and jewellery, in which there’s a wide variety of situations in this business where I can find orders to work as a freelancer for my living. The other part is the painting and sculpture that I do freely and spontaneously as a hobby.

What other interests do you have outside of painting and sculpture?

Well, I have so many interests, like people, movies, nature, history, small ancient villages, literature, astronomy, science fiction, science in general, biking, sports, mysticism, mystery, other cultures and so many others… I think I have a natural curiosity about almost everything that I can raise my awareness with.

What message to the world is reflected in your art?

I think I haven’t a single clear-cut message, but instead, I prefer people to observe it and have the freedom to use their imagination to create possible stories or messages.

Nowadays, what are the greatest challenges for artists?

I think it depends on the objectives that each artist has. I also think that the concept of art is always related to a particular social and historical context and to the meaning of being an artist to each person.

Nowadays, with the new technologies there are so many forms of art which are emerging together with interdisciplinary mixtures, and this results in more and more challenges. I think diversity is always positive. On the other hand, I think the major challenge of any artist at any time has been and always will be the creativity and originality.

What is your favourite quote?

There are many quotes that I like, but there’s a quote from a Portuguese poet (Fernando Pessoa) that is written above the main entrance of an art school here in the city of Porto, which says:
“GOD WANTS, MEN DREAM, THE MASTER PIECE ARISES “
in Portuguese: “DEUS QUER, O HOMEM SONHA, A OBRA NASCE”

What was your greatest profesonal achievement?

Work, on what I like, on my own.

What plans do you have until the end of 2010?

I’m making a sculpture for a competition, and I’m doing my website to show my work as much as possible.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Like these quotes say: “A great journey begins with one step at a time”
“The secret of life is Persistence”

Paulo Capelas was born in May of 1968 in Porto, Portugal. He is a sculptor and painter.

His dedicatoin to art started 17 years ago when he began to create sculpture model figures for a factory series production of artistic creactivity and later on he also worked in artistic pewter industry.

Some years later he invested all his efforts to work on his own. Currently he is working as a freelancer and get most of his work on artistic medals industry, bronze statuary on busts, portraits, and historic figures.

The original work is his favourite one and it is inspired from dreams and freedom

http://paulocapelas.com/