Chapala-based textile artist Synthia David is holding her first local exhibit, “Light Up Your Life,” featuring hand-painted silk batik lamps (ArtLites), handcrafted handbags, and scarves. The opening is scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Casa del Sol Inn. She has been creating these colorful, one-of-a-kind pieces for about ten years.
Synthia took a watercolor course and fell in love with color. “Before that, I couldn’t draw a stick figure,” she said. Later, she learned the batik painting technique at the Mendocino Art Center in California and further developed her practice during a residency in Bali, Indonesia.
“I really enjoy painting faces — bringing them to life,” she says. “I began to paint handbags, which I called ‘mood bags,’ fun images of women’s faces in different moods.”
Each ArtLite is a bespoke lampshade that merges fine art with ambient interior design, offering both beauty and utility.
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