Shakuntala and the Deer

As her work matured, Ângela established her own style of painting, that came to be known as Trindadism. Using the cultural and spiritual dimensions of the triangle demonstrated an approach to art which highlighted her individuality as an artist.
After spending an entire life searching for a language more suited to her times which could also express the oneness of human and divine, Ângela found in the triangle the possibility of bringing together the cultural, artistic and religious influences from the East and West.
Rooted in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, the story of Shakuntala was dramatized by many famous writers including Kalidasa. At the beginning of the epic Shakuntala is characterised as a nature’s child who has a deer as a pet. The deer gets wounded by the great king Dushyanta, who falls in love with Shakuntala and ends up marrying her. A widely depict epic scene, Trindade’s triangular composition of Shakuntala and the Deer uses a vibrant palette taking full advantage of the symbolic dimension of colour to express ideas and emotions.
References: Gracias, Fátima, Ângela Trindade: A Trinity of Colour, Light and Emotion, Fundação Oriente, Panjim, Goa, 2016; Eiland, William U. at all, António Xavier Trindade: An Indian Painter from Portuguese Goa (exhibition catalogue), Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, 1996.