Boris Toucas: Ballpoint pen artist
By Alipate Pareti
With simple strokes of a humble ballpoint pen, Boris Toucas is bringing Suva to life in the pages of his sketchbook.
The 40-year-old former French diplomat now resides in Fiji, where he is inspired by the beauty of landscapes, city skylines and people within the environment.
In ‘Going to Church,’ Toucas captures an iconic Suva scene – two men enjoying a walk along Albert Park on their way to Church, with the castle-like structure of the old Government Buildings towering in the background.
Toucas also captures with precision and attention to detail, famous paintings such as Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’, international scenes such as The Louvre pyramid and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and domestic portraits such as ‘Dua Lipa’, the lovely drawing of a stray dog he rescued from the streets of Suva.
“My father was a painter but he never did it professionally. He was a teacher in high school and he is now retired. He did a lot of huge glass paintings, the kind you usually see in churches and cathedrals,” Toucas recalls.
“In 1999, I won a prize for competing in a drawing competition by Air France(Concord). I was 15 years old. But after that I stopped entirely,” he said.
Toucas’ career in diplomacy and personal travels has seen him visit some 80 countries. But he has only resumed drawing recently.
“After spending four years in the US, I went to Australia and was part of the consulate there. I then became reconnected with art because part of my work was about the preservation of the arts. I’ve been drawing for a year now and there’s been a 25-year gap from the moment I won the Concord drawing competition to when I started to draw again”, he said.
Toucas is captivated by Indigenous Australian art, and particularly the works of Albert Namatjira, an Indigenous Australian painter.
“He did a painting in the 1940s, where he was living in the bush and started to paint landscapes. I’ve never seen paintings that were so realistic until I saw his work. He really brought the Australian landscapes to life with his paintings that tell secret stories about the land of their ancestors.
“And it’s interesting to see that my drawings today are similar in some ways. I draw landscape pictures, portraits of people, and a few paintings that have a specific resonance. But I don’t just draw pictures. I record souvenirs for memories,” added Toucas.
Unlike many artists, Toucas does not use pencil in his drawing drafts. “Many artists you’ll see use pencils. They would draw, erase and draw again before they follow through with a pen. For me, I don’t use pencils. I did not go to any art school to learn, but this style is my own unique way of art. I take pictures with specific compositions and then I draw them. They are all my pictures, so I never use anyone else’s material,” said Toucas.
“Most of my work is 10x10cm or 10x15cm in size which is very small. A (9x9cm) drawing took more than 10 hours to complete because of the finer details. Remember I don’t use pencils, so if I get something wrong or any discrepancies, I have to embrace it or integrate it into the picture. That’s why I go slowly and take my time,” he added.
“I use a ballpoint pen because it’s simple and it does not lie. You cannot hide anything with ballpoint pen drawings. I like the fact that it’s straightforward and honest as a medium that really tests your skills,” he said.
Toucas’ tip for aspiring artists: “Don’t be too concerned with the art but enjoy doing it. Don’t do it to seek engagement, do it for the love of doing it. Sometimes you will question yourself why are you doing it? That’s okay, embrace your journey. Don’t force the outcome.”
Toucas recently exhibited at the CBD Gallery in Sydney. “I’m excited for this opportunity because it gives me a chance to show people I value what I love to do. It’s a hobby that is turning successful and I hope to keep it like that,” he said.
