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The work of Portuguese artist Francisca Carvalho does not seam to follow a pre-defined line. We could almost say that Carvalho escapes a definition that would determine her direction. Her working process is best described by a method of organic flow of drawing. Similarly to many other artists who engage with the medium, also Carvalho is drawn to the lightness of drawing, its spontaneity, speed and the physical connection of the body with a surface, connected through the lead of a pencil or the tip of a coal chalk.
Although a sense of physical connection with her work is without doubt important, we can hardly speak about a personal offprint. A specific line characteristic for her work is something that Carvalho tends to systematically eliminate. Her existential and dream-like compositions have gradually transformed into manga comics inspired drawing. The unifying element however seams to be the body. Various forms of human anatomy appear in most of the artists drawings, this including one of her older series reminiscent of uncoordinated children’s drawing.
In the case of a formally diverse artist, who Francisca Carvalho without doubt is, it tends to be a norm to speak about sources. Sources for her drawing are namely sound – music, literature, chance, but also her own drawing, series of which bare a strong influence up on one another, and elements of which are quietly and without notice transformed and passed from one cycle to the other. It is a process beyond compute, but maybe that is why it is exciting to be a part of it.
