Evolvement of the "Zafer" style

I named my painting style "Zafer" out of sheer ignorance. Back in 2006, when someone asked me what this style was called and where it belonged within art movements, I didn’t have an answer. So I turned to Mauritian Creole and chose the word “Zafer,” which loosely means “thing”—a placeholder we use when we can’t quite name something. It felt fitting: undefined, unclassifiable, free.

The Zafer style began taking shape in 2003. At the time, I saw it as just another phase in my artistic journey. I started small - painting on paper or cardboard using watercolours and poster paints.

One of the first "Zafer" trials in 2003

Then in 2006, I transitioned to canvas and acrylics. The early canvas works were still modest in size, and I found the texture challenging at first. It took time and practice to get used to this new surface.

The title is "Koz Koze" - 2007 - First trials on canvas

Gradually, my canvases grew larger. I became more confident in my use of geometric forms, lines, circles, spirals, dots—and more precise in how I constructed my compositions. Until the end of 2022, I worked mainly on flat backgrounds, layering shapes over uniform colour fields. It took me nearly two decades to feel ready to experiment with textured surfaces and underlayers.

One of my recent works, Carol Goes Singing, marks a turning point. The approach is completely different from my earlier paintings. There’s more intuition now—more trust in the process, more exploration. I’m still learning how to play with backgrounds, colours, and forms in a freer, more instinctive way.

Original view of the garden

The canvas is painted in red and a preliminary drawing is made.

First layer of background colours are painted on the canvas.

The final drawing is now made on the canvas with preliminary outlines.

The sky is added and the silhouette of a person walking on the path is drawn. Few colours are added to the trees.

Final background colours are added to the painting.

Final shapes and lines are finally added to reveal the final painting.

Every painting is a new adventure. None of them follow the exact same path. That’s what I love about the Zafer style. After 22 years, I’ve never grown tired of it. I’ve never felt like the journey is over. In fact, I hope it never ends because it’s the process, the evolution, the discovery, that matters most.