Sculptor and artist Infantino Fernandes’ latest work, a herd of gaurs (Indian Bison) named ONE, is his biggest artwork yet and it aims to get across a message of unity.
Goa-native Fernandes has always had the artistic gift but only pursued it as a hobby in the beginning.
“I was fashioning the Statue of Liberty out of polystyrene, making decorations for weddings and for the church. I got good and picked up the skills for it,” he said.
Tumultuous beginnings
If you’re wondering how a young Indian boy is able to transition smoothly into the world of art, your doubts are not too far off.
“I first enrolled in mechanical engineering because my dad was a mechanical engineer. But halfway through the course I realised it wasn’t for me even though I was good at it.
“So, when my parents asked me what I wanted to do, I said hospitality because I am interested in cooking.
“It wasn’t easy for my parents to agree but when they saw that I was getting good grades they agreed,” recalls Fernandes.
While serving two years as a chef in Dubai, he found himself spending more and more time with the kitchen artist learning ice sculpture.
Soon his own creations began to see the light of the day, and he moved to Kuwait and joined the Hilton Group as a full-fledged artist.
“I began experimenting with various types of material, from metal and ceramic to whatever I could find” he says.
Making a mark in Malaysia
This paved the path for Fernandes’ arrival in Malaysia in 2006, as an in-house sculptor for the Hilton Group. Although he has been leaving his mark around the world since he began his artistic journey, Malaysia is home to most of his significant works.
He’s a hit with local elites too as actress and activist Tiara Jacquelina bought his sculpture “The Anatomy of Hope” for her home.
The sculptor bid adieu to Hilton and joined Sunway in 2014. He created Yang and Victor (named after his middle name), which can now be found at Sunway Velocity Mall and Sunway Putra Mall respectively.
He soon embarked on the creation of his largest and most complex work to date, called ONE.
“I wanted to make a piece that will touch the lives of the community, unlike my previous pieces. Yang is made in conjunction with the year of the goat, whereas Victor is to challenge myself with a more difficult see-through piece.
“For ONE I was very much inspired by the diversity in Malaysia. I wanted to put out something that captures this. I’m a big proponent of aesthetic art that gets the message across to people easily.
“I want people to be drawn to it, touched by it, and understand the message behind it,” he says.
Made out of mild steel, ONE comprises seven Indian gaur, six adults and a calf. Each comes with a different expression to denote their differing personalities.
Yet, they congregate together as a family at a water fountain in front of the entrance to Sunway Lagoon despite their differences. This is exactly the message Fernandes wants to convey through his latest piece.
“I don’t believe in making people guess the intention of the artist. For me, an art piece should be as aesthetically clear as possible so that the common man understands it”.
In fact, he such a big believer of being transparent that ONE comes with this message on a plaque.
What’s next for Fernandes? Will his next work be something different from mammals? Will it be in steel?
“Steel is a very rigid material and I enjoy trying to evoke emotions out of it. That’s my biggest challenge and I really like it. So, yes, I will be moving away from animals,” confirms Fernandes laughingly.
This article first appeared in uppre.com