RUI CARRUCO · 2026

Where the Light Begins

Onde a Luz Começa

In this painting, I sought to bring into the present some of the universal values associated with Saint Francis of Assisi: fraternity, peace, tolerance, and the ability to recognise in others someone with whom we can share the world.

Rather than creating a historical or religious representation of Saint Francis, I imagined a contemporary figure: an elderly man of simple appearance, seated on a Mediterranean beach and surrounded by children from different backgrounds. There is no hierarchy between them. Instead, there is closeness, listening, curiosity and joy. Their encounter becomes the true centre of the painting.

I worked primarily with a palette knife, building a strongly textured surface in which the figurative scene is crossed by the geometric fragmentation characteristic of my work. Images shift, repeat and reconstruct themselves, suggesting different times and identities finding common ground.

Light flows throughout the composition and takes on a symbolic meaning. For me, it is precisely through encounter, sharing and acceptance of one another that this light begins.

Available · Enquire about this painting