This art exhibition in Bandra is for those who love to adorn their walls

Artist Sal D’sa creates detailed reproductions of famous paintings, to give everyone a chance to own art pieces

On the bedroom wall of Sal D'sa's Bandra residence hangs a scene frozen in time - a group of people playing cards. At first, we think it is a photograph. It is only on closer inspection that we see the intricate colour work and realise that it's an oil painting. "It took me four and a half months to paint this one," D'sa tells us. "I needed time to capture the details in it - the faces, the expressions, down to the toes."

While this one is D'sa's personal favourite, his house is full of artworks in gilt-edged frames, most of them lining the white walls of the living room, which also, doubles up as an exhibition centre for his annual art soiree. While the soiree is scheduled for October 29, the home resembles a miniature art gallery all year round.

"I was always good at art since I was a child," the retired marine engineer says. "For 40 years, I've been an engineer, but whenever I got the time, I'd turn to my passion, art." One of the first artworks he painted was a watercolour version of Antoine Watteau's oil La Gamme D'amour (The love song), a scene depicting two lovers.

Sal D'sa and wife Serena host annual art soirees at their Bandra residence. Pics/Aishwarya Deodhar

Most of the artworks are oil paintings, the bold brushstrokes rendered in vivid detail, reproducing the work of the great masters - Rembrandt, Boucher, and Watteau. Biblical scenes, scriptural themes, and Greek mythology serve as inspiration for the artist, who loves to study the details and understand the story behind the painting before creating his own rendition. When we ask why he chooses to re-paint popular paintings, he says, "The Great Masters which we see in the Museums all over the world cannot be owned by the common man. My desire was to make these affordable to art lovers." D'sa's detailed strokes also capture dancers in the moment they're twirling, or a musician immersed in twining strings of her violin - the theme of this year's soiree. "As I am a lover of musicians and dancers fascinate me and it turned out over the years that these kind of paintings became very popular at my exhibitions," he says.

WHAT: Musicians and Dancers, an exhibition of paintings
WHEN: October 29, 9.30 AM to 8 PM
WHERE: 305, Lou Paul Building, B Wing, St. John Baptist road, (Bandra West)
CONTACT: 9819981870