A Través del Tiempo: An art exhibition by David Saborido

ANYONE wandering the winding streets of Cádiz may find themselves drawn to an art exhibition.

There is none finer than A Través del Tiempo by David Saborido. It has been erected within the walls of Castillo de Santa Catalina. The paintings were designed to remind us of the intricate relationship between light and silence.

I first met David in the courtyard of a dusty Andaluz house. He uses the place as a classroom. Budding artists come to him for lessons in how to draw, colour and, perhaps most importantly, how to paint. Peeping round the door I could see some diligently sketching, catching a glimpse of the pencil bones of their masterpieces.

David offers the classes to all, a chance to spread his skills and love for art.

What attracted him to art remains a mystery.

“I don’t know what my motivation is. I draw for drawing. I needed to do art.”

His pictures mirror this deep-rooted and inescapable passion. He draws visions from his mind. They could be made by emotions he feels, scenes he dreams up or an unexplainable sensation. They just come to him and he draws.

“My paintings are of my own feelings. Sensations that I have. Visions.”

He began his artistic career copying other people’s works and drawing natural scenes. They sold well, allowing him to pay his bills.

As people began to notice his talent, it wasn’t long before he was sent to art school and, later, off to university. Again, he showed that same inexplicable love of art that has carved his path in life.

“I left my fine job and money. I left friends.”

David effectively gave himself up to art.

The decision took him to the University of Barcelona, famed for its prized Gaudi links. It was a hard time for him. With very little money, he ate little and worked a lot. Yet the skills he gained were invaluable and shaped the rest of his life.

The exhibition ‘A Través del Tiempo’ is a culmination of a lifetime dedicated to art.
Each carefully sculpted canvas is a reflection from his mind. These play on the unity between light and silence. The pictures are perfectly positioned throughout the room, to take advantage of the changing rays of sunlight.

Some are a symphony of deep blues and whites, whilst others shriek out in glorious red.

The pictures have been made using layers and layers of paint. As such, their surface is bumpy, adding a new texture of shadows to the picture. These move alongside the light source, further adding to the enticing nature of the art work.

“The pictures transmit tranquility, silence, light and peace”, mentioned David as he stared lovingly at his realised visions.

The exhibition is the latest out of a string of 40 that he has done, the first being in 1996. His most famous exhibition to date was in New York in 2012.

This is definitely an unmissable part of the patchwork of points of interest that make up the vibrant city of Cádiz.

I look forward to seeing you there.