love unframed By Christian Shane Dougherty
Fer Da Silva is a Venezuelan and Portuguese visual artist, who currently resides and creates most of his art pieces in New York City. I had the pleasure to discuss art and life with him.
Could you share with us about your upbringing and what initially sparked your creative journey?
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but grew up in Valencia—a different city I hold dear. My childhood was spent watching my mom paint, which, at the time, seemed more like a hobby to me. Never did I imagine that I would become an artist myself. Instead, I was drawn to the spotlight, aspiring to be an actor and singer. However, it seems artistry was in my DNA all along. I found myself immersed in painting at home, and before I knew it, my casual hobby had blossomed into a full-time career as a visual artist. And here we are—I absolutely love what I do! Should we unearth some of your earliest artwork, what narratives and themes could we expect to unfold before our eyes? I found it funny that people often expected me to paint something serious—truth be told, I'd quickly lose interest. Instead, I generally leaned toward an abstract style, often adopting a 'breaking the rules' approach. Interestingly, I've never taken an art class, and, in hindsight, I'm actually glad I didn't. I'm not suggesting one shouldn't attend art classes—it's just that my personal journey unfolded differently. There's something special about being self-taught that I genuinely appreciate.
How many years have you been painting? Professionally between 8 and 10 years, but if I go back to when I was an exchange student, sixteen years old, living abroad in the United States alone. And, when I felt a bit depressed, I painted and loved it. So, I have been painting my whole life.
