‘360 View’ exhibition captures Cadiz rooftops

Cadiz-born painter Cecilio Chaves’s exhibition, 360 Cádiz, launched in the Fine Arts Gallery on Tuesday evening and celebrates the Torre Tavira, the tallest merchant tower in the city.

The exhibition shows a panoramic view of Cadiz from Torre Tavira, using a sequence 29 canvases that together form the 360-degree vista of the city.

Mr Chaves merges dawn, midday, dusk and night, and marks the changes in colours and shadows that were cast of the rooftops and architectural landmarks of Cadiz as he did so.

360 Cádiz was first exhibited in the ancient city and its success was such that Mr Chavez was nominated as the city’s Cultural Personality of the Year. The collection has since found a permanent home at the University of Cadiz, but is currently on loan to Gibraltar.

Mr Chavez explained the process behind this exhibition.

“I need to know the light, the place. And take my photos. Always, that’s the first step,” he said.

“I prefer to paint in my studio, but I need to understand the light everywhere.”

The artist’s fascination with light and his preference is evident in his works, particularly loving to work through the hours of the afternoon.

“The light is cool at sunrise, but in the afternoon, the colours are richer.”

His approach to the project also included a variation across the sizes and compositions of his canvases.

“I needed to plan the solution perfectly before painting. I decided how I’m going to paint every size, every place. I used three or four different sizes,” he said.

His smallest canvases were 40cm x 40cm, with the others two, three or four times the size.

First, he took two months planning the exhibition, examining and reframing the photographs he had taken until he achieved the layout he wanted.

Only then did he pick up his brushes and, over the next four months, he recreated the vistas in stages, four or five paintings at a time, checking at each point that the light was right and flowing correctly, from the previous stage or onto the next.

As the project went, on his passion for it did not wane. In fact the opposite happened.

Witnessing his vision coming to fruition, he enjoyed the work more and is extremely proud of this collection.

Local art collector Patrick Sacarello met the artist after he spent a weekend at a jazz festival in Cadiz where he saw one of his paintings in a boutique hotel he was staying at.

He said it reminded him of an artist who won the International Art exhibition in Gibraltar many years ago. It was Mr Chaves, having won the 43rd International Art competition in 2016.

They subsequently met, and he convinced the artist to exhibit in Tarifa and, following on from that success, introduced him to John Langdon from the Fine Arts Committee.

This introduction eventually led to Mr Langdon attaining board-wide approval to invite him to exhibit on the Rock.

Describing Mr Chaves, who is known as ‘El mago de la luz’ - the Magician of Light - Mr Sacarello said: “This exhibition is quite remarkable.”

“It’s the 360 view from the tallest merchant tower in Cadiz, from dawn to dusk, which he did off his own back with no subsidy at all.”

“It captures his unique style, his way of handling the Atlantic light and shadows, and a great drawing technique, which reflects the quirky, urban architecture of Cadiz.”

While none of the canvases from 360 Cadiz are for sale, Mr Chaves is also exhibiting other works from around Andalusia, such as Tarifa and Seville, that are very different to Cadiz he said.

“The main difference is that, in the rooftops, the colours are different. In Cadiz, all the rooftops are almost white. And in Seville there are more colours and different buildings.”

The artist’s connection to rooftops is deeply personal.

“When I was a child, I spent a lot of time playing on the rooftop,” he shared, describing this much like Gibraltarians describe the ‘patio’ culture they have fond childhood memories of.

Looking ahead, he revealed plans for a new series focusing on the streets of Cadiz.

“I’m going to paint streets,” he said, signalling a shift from the vast similar white rooftops of Cadiz to the multi-coloured streetscape below. He is looking forward to the challenge and the experience.

Mr Chaves has been painting for a number of decades having developed an interest in art at the age of twelve.

He graduated with a degree in Fine Arts (Painting) from Seville in 1996, the same year he received a scholarship in Granada, and he held his first solo exhibition in Cadiz.

Since then, he has exhibited his work in Europe and internationally in places such as Costa Rica. Mr Chaves presently lives in Cadiz, where he teaches art.

The 360 Cádiz exhibition will be on display at the Fine Arts Gallery throughout October and opens to the public today.