Da Silveira like many other celebrated painters before him such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Chagall has undeniably been marked by the magical lights and colors of his French Provence ; but the passion which forms the core of his work finds its source in his turbulent and colorful youth.
Da Silveira was born in a tiny jungle village in Mozambique, on the vast and agitated African Continent to a celebrated Portuguese bullfighter, and the daughter of one of the leaders of the French Resistance. From the moment he let forth his first cry in the hands of an African Shaman, nothing about the child, nor the man he would become, would ever be ordinary. As his father was in Africa fighting in the Mozambican Liberation War, Da Silveira spent the first years of his life shuttling between Africa and France, then Portugal and France, ultimately settling with his mother in Marseilles after his parents divorced.
Very early, Da Silveira began channeling the fire, which he inherited from his father and grandfather, into his art. His unique style and choice of color very quickly evolved earning him an ever growing and devoted following, as well as opportunities to study with some of the great masters of our time.
Da Silveira began showing his work professionally at age 16. As his style matured and evolved, art critics and connoisseurs donned it "Formism," and a new school of art was born. Almost 20 years later Formist painting continues to inspire a new generation of artist, and Da Silveira, himself only in his thirties, continues to surpass the standards he himself developed.
Although the extreme thirst for life which Jose learned at an early age is always apparent in his work, the reoccurring theme of romantic and parental love finds its source in the tremendously loving upbringing he received from his mother and step-father and his grandparents. This love has only been reinforced and inspired by the family he has created with his wife of more than a decade, Marina.
With his works in some of the most prominent collections in Europe, including that of the Portuguese Royal Family, Da Silveira began seeking a new challenge: the New World. Since his relocation to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1997, his palette has found a new brilliance and explosive quality, which only the Californian ambiance can inspire.
Da Silveira’s passion for the female form, whether maternal or sensual, is also an important inspiration for his painting. From her most sacred to her most lonely moments, Da Silveira provides the viewer a window into a woman's soul.
From his dreams comes his poetic vision. Da Silveira describes his work as inspired: "I cannot control my art. Images come to me in my dreams and I reproduce this world which exists only in my mind."
With his talent and the sheer beauty of his creation, Da Silveira is well on his way to becoming one of the great masters of our time.
