This question has often been asked of me. When I started, I painted out of desire. I wanted to produce paintings as beautiful as those hung in my parents' living room. I observed with envy the paintings of Mauritian painters already established on the artistic scene. At the time, I dreamed of one day when my parents would agree to hang one of my paintings on the walls of the house. I then began to paint regularly, observing the paintings of other painters such as Charoux or Ménardeau.
Over time, I began to paint out of passion. What had started as a hobby gradually became a habit. On the other hand, I felt in me the need to do well, to be at the height of my elders and this caused me deep stress. The need to « pull off » a painting took precedence over the pleasure of its execution. For several years and in several exhibitions, I felt like I was running after something unattainable. The pleasure of painting was gradually replaced by the will to please.
In 2003, after meeting Carol, the love of my life, something changed in me. I decided to look for a new style of painting with which I will try to feel the happiness of painting. I wanted to create a style that did not exist in the Mauritian artistic landscape, a style where I would not try to follow in the footsteps of my elders. This is where I started the style that I called « Zafer ». This style of painting with bright colours and geometric patterns allowed me to trace my personal path.
With the Zafers, I started painting not only out of passion, but also out of necessity. Having been diagnosed with recurrent depression accompanied by bipolarity type two, the new style of painting became therapeutic for me. Over the next twenty years, I realised how much painting the Zafers paintings helped me cope with this invisible disease. Painting my Zafers gives me moments of peace where my mind can rest. Bright colours help me get rid of dark thoughts. The Zafer style aims to be utopian. I created and I still create a world as I would have liked it to be and where I feel good. Each painting is an adventure and a personal journey. Painting is now a passion for me very focused on my well-being and the Zafer style helps me get through life, one day at a time.
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