The Carlos Machado Museum marks, in the month of September, the work “Dias de Melo – Escritor” by Tomaz Vieira (1938), painted in 1974. This acrylic on canvas is part of the exhibition Alto da Rocha do Canto da Baía, on display at the Santo André Nucleus until September 24, dedicated to the centenary of the birth of the Azorean writer Dias de Melo. Created before the April Revolution and first exhibited only in 1975, the portrait stems from the friendship and admiration that united the painter and the writer, and is presented alongside other figures of significance for Tomaz Vieira, such as Canto da Maia and Virgínia Moreira.
The painting captures the strength and unmistakable presence of Dias de Melo, enveloped in shades of blue that allude to his most intimate and spiritual dimension. The writer appears with his pipe and wearing a checkered shirt, elements that reference his public image and reinforce the symbolism of the portrait. Around him, the painter constructs a universe rich in allusions: three seagulls evoking Azorean insularity; three whaler figures transporting us into his literary work; and, in the foreground, an open book on the desk, the ultimate symbol of his identity as a writer. In the documentary “Todas do Mar e da Terra” (RTP Açores), Tomaz Vieira explains the chromatic choice using the words of Mia Couto: “Blue is never an exact color; it is merely the memory of the water we once were.” Thus, the painting transcends the portrait and becomes a tribute: an encounter between the figure of Dias de Melo, his writing, and the collective memory of a people shaped by the sea. [PCI]
CCM Link: Collective Museum Catalog: Visual Arts: Dias de Melo – Escritor [MCM6121]