Paulo Nimer Pjota

The starting point of Paulo Nimer Pjota’s works is the nature of collectively originated phenomena. His research and practice focus on an in-depth study of a kind of popular iconography which can only develop through complex processes operated by numerous individuals. We can therefore think of his production as the representation of a plural and agitated dialogue, with ever-changing interpretations, running through multiple streams of consciousness.

The artist usually employs, as medium, large canvases, sacks and metal sheets. Most of these materials are found in waste depots and go through processes of negotiation and displacement. Naturally, the chosen pieces come with traces from other times and uses, so that they provide an initial terrain — graphic and spiritual — for that which will take form on these surfaces. From that point, he creates overarching tales within the tension between the freedom of random choice and the precision of a meticulous composition, combining representations in a constellation of suspended bodies. This is when art history and mass culture go hand in hand, as well as universal canons and symbols, everyday banalities and regional themes.

More than anything, he is interested in the processes and mechanisms that produce, edit and disseminate human expressions during a time that is dominated by the internet and ultra-communication. Through rhythm, rhyme and repetition, images arise, which index the common perceptions of a globalized planet and, consequently, expose deep inequalities. Indeed, it becomes possible to question the way in which we formulate information and distribute our affections, configuring our sensibilities towards our surroundings and promoting hither to unthinkable possibilities of social interaction.

Submitted by Mendes Wood DM