exciting sort of way, by a young American artist whose first solo show opens this Friday at the Gallery Mouton Noir.

Emilia Cleopas, who describes her work as "an explosion of the soul'', says "Bermuda needs a jolt'' and hopes her paintings will convince people that "there is more to art than painting rooftops and moongates all the time.'' Bermuda, she feels, is a very materialistic society. "I talk to a lot of artists on the Island. I can feel their frustration at the conformity here. I think most art here is geared towards what will sell. And they know that it's rooftops and oleanders round the porch that make money,'' she says.

She notes, with an ironic smile, that in Bermuda, "even the janitor wears a Rolex. But not many people are buying paintings, or encouraging real creativity. It seems to me that the artistic diet here is just `meat and potatoes'. People seem to have forgotten that we need a little variety in our diets. Bermuda's art has to open up to new ideas.'' Ms Cleopas, who cut her artistic teeth amongst the rule-breaking graffiti artists of New York, has now been in Bermuda for two years, furiously painting the thought-provoking, surrealistic-style oils and acrylics that take from 12 to 16 hours to complete. There will be 35 of her Bermuda paintings in the one-woman show.

Born in Colombia, South America, Emilia Cleopas moved to New York as a child.

Her fascination with art began when she was very young but she only spent a brief period studying in an academic environment. After experiments with graffiti, it was, she says, a natural progression to the oil and canvas format.

Her craft was acquired, firsthand, from three artists whom she believes are among the most dynamic working in New York at the present time: Babis Vekris, the internationally known Greek painter, Kim Keever, who is one of America's leading expressionist painters and Rammellzee, the "notorious `assassin musician' and artist.'' "Yes, I miss the pace and inspiration of New York -- there's a lot of junk, but also some very good stuff there -- but I find that in Bermuda I can really concentrate on my work in a way that's not possible in that great, busy city.'' Bermuda has been home to this outspoken exponent of the visual arts ever since she married Bermudian accountant, Mr. Mark Smith. Appropriately, she met the ex-`Mr. Bermuda', working out in a gym while she was on holiday here. "I found my soul mate,'' she announces with a laugh.

Ms Cleopas, who lives next door to the Southlands estate, proclaims: "All my creativity has come from hanging out amongst the trees there. The theme of my show is Southlands: The Passage. My work is about being able to walk amongst those trees, see the stars fall out of the sky and watch that sun rise and set.'' She expresses deep concern at proposed plans to convert the old estate into an old folks' home.

"It is a shame that Bermuda is selling off all its land and destroying the few remaining estates. It would make more sense to recycle existing places, such as Banana Beach, instead of ruining the last patches of wild beauty. I think Bermudians really have to pause and ask themselves why they are allowing this sort of thing to happen to their Island. As the corporate world intrudes and expands, Bermuda is going to desperately need places like Southlands and the few bits of farmland that are left, to have places that are still peaceful.'' Ms Cleopas feels that in spite of its fast-vanishing open spaces, Bermuda is still an oasis of creative energy which is directly related to its geophysical structure. "Bermuda is the lip of a volcano. As artists, we have to tap into that energy, reach for the mysticism that is all around us -- then Bermuda will reveal many, many stories. We have to listen to those old trees at Southlands. This Island is like a chamber to the very centre of the earth.'' She is convinced, she says, that having arrived here quite recently, she has been able to "tune in'' to a lot of things that Bermudians have forgotten.

Spirituality, she declares, is not written in a book but in our souls.

"People go to church at the weekend, and that's it! But spirituality is a seven-days-a-week business,'' she says.

She even expresses doubt at referring to herself an artist, saying that she does not "see'' her work but rather, listens to some force that talks "as I take down the steno.'' She contends that the term `artist' sounds egotistical: "Artists in the true sense are creators. But there is only one real creator, so I like to think of myself as an interpreter, a channel for creative forces.'' Emilia Cleopas would like to see more people buying paintings.

"Every country has to support its creative people so that people say `I'm not going to buy that diamond. I'll buy a beautiful painting instead!' That does some good in this world.'' She makes the point that even the Mafia, committing crimes, give "big bucks'' to charity. "It's their key to heaven. So for people to buy a painting -- that's like buying a key to heaven as well,'' she says.

EMILIA'S ART -- Artist Ms Emilia Cleopas, whose one-woman show opens at the Mouton Noir gallery this Friday.