‘The Whisper of the Old Bell’ – Joao Coelho

Joao Coelho’s The Whisper of the Old Bell is a textured, architectural diorama that evokes the faded beauty of forgotten spaces. Drawing on memory, material, and the quiet poetry of decay, the piece presents a weathered building façade—its green shutters drawn, its balcony rusted, and a single bell swaying gently from its hook.

Using naturalistic colour and meticulous hand-worked textures, Coelho recreates the stillness of a sun-baked street, where stories linger in the brickwork and silence holds weight. Every detail—from the trailing wire to the flaking paint—invites closer inspection.

A work of atmosphere and quiet reverence, this piece speaks to impermanence, care, and the echo of human presence.