Fragments of Eternity

Boris Toucas’ newest body of work, titled Fragments of Eternity, showcases his ongoing fascination with detail, scale and memory.

Toucas' works of ballpoint pen on paper encapsulate untold stories, fleeting encounters, and tiny moments within their small scale. Through the unforgiving process of freehand drawing, Toucas manages to express the poetry, flaws and harmony found in daily life. The chaos of busy streets, lush landscapes, and bustling figures are transformed through his careful lifework. 

It is a cliché that diplomats easily indulge in writing long books, but few would expect diplomats to quietly draw. although some did. such lives are fireworks of colours, memories, scents, untold stories, encounters, feelings. As any Australian would know, paintings tell meaningful and important stories without words.

The drawings encapsulate little universes and their inhabitants, mostly 10 cm x 10 cm and 10 cm x 15 cm, spanning across time and places in Australia, France and the world. Often poetry is unexpectedly found in living the daily life, and the sight of unassuming busy streets. Clarity and harmony emerge from the chaos of lines.

The process of drawing freehand is unforgiving, yet it is necesssary as flaws and even accidents are a useful feature of any human life. This work is an invitation to accept and embrace moments as they come, then cherish and learn from them once they're gone. The souvenirs might fade but the imprint stays.