Synkroniciti is excited to welcome back visual artist Cesar Ceballos of Nevada, who first debuted in our “Ritual” issue in 2022. Sketching is a way of recording memory and recognizing patterns around us. Cesar shares with us three sketches of Italian landscapes and culture which reveal aesthetic elements that shaped local identity and contributed to human civilization.
“Inspired by my travels, these sketches demonstrate a utilitarian system in architecture, engineering, agriculture, technology, and construction to serve humanitarian needs.”
The first image is a pastoral scene near The Gran Sasso massif in the Apennine mountains of Italy entitled “Order of Hay Bales.” Fencing and rounded hay bales impose human order, contrasting with the rough rockiness of the mountain and the wild foliage. Translating this scene into a series of lines and dabs of color reveals repetition and patterns that dance before our eyes.
“Aesthetics in Repetitive Roofs in Alberobello, Italy” explores the trulli houses of this southern Italian town in a semi-abstract way, interspersed with gigantic colored bottles–there are large jars attached to houses there, but these are enlarged. Trulli are unique to southern Italy and were constructed of limestone without mortar so that they could be taken down quickly in the event of an inspection and thus avoid taxation. Amazingly, they have lasted for 5 centuries. They feature conical, sometimes pyramidal roofs. The colors and lines of this sketch are soft, creating the illusion that these structures grow up out of the hills and communicating an indelible connection with earth and nature rather than realism.
Finally, “Aesthetics of a Roman Aqueduct” once again contrasts the wildness of foliage and countryside with the arches of an aqueduct, hinting at balance and sustainability between man and nature. We see a group of tourists gazing at the structure. The pattern of shadows, particularly from the people, is satisfying and delightful.
View Cesar’s illuminating and beautiful art in “Patterns of Civilization: Watercolor Sketches of Cesar Ceballos” in Synkroniciti’s “Patterns” issue, Vol. 7, No. 4, available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Cesar Ceballos, a respected architect, artist, and world traveler uses colors to express the geometry of nature; light to enhance the volume and drama in a painting. Culture, tradition, and history play an important influence in his artworks. In 2021 and 2022, his works were awarded first prize and Special Merit at the Apollo Dionysian International Award for Poetry and Contemporary Art, conducted by The International Academy of Signification Poetry and Contemporary Art in Rome, Italy.
His artistic roots grew out of his origin in the Philippines. He earned his masters’ degrees in architecture and management in the USA and passed the exams to be a licensed Architect. In addition, his paintings have been exhibited and published worldwide, including in Berlin, Rome, Milan, London, Warsaw, Seoul, Tbilisi, and Ljubljana, as well as Canada, the Philippines, and the USA.
Cesar remembers the fun experience of painting outdoors, as birds dropped poop on his paintings. Nature’s participation is full of surprises!