Solo exhibition: Brazilian artist on the conflict within

Explores the mundane and difficult emotion through stylised art.

ISLAMABAD:

The conflict between good and bad is the crux of paintings by Brazilian artist Dimax who showcased his work at Tanzara Gallery in collaboration with the Brazilian embassy on Thursday. Titled “Conflicting Forces”, his collection features vibrant colours and stylised shapes that often involve depictions of everyday objects and living things.

Dimax, who is in Pakistan for the exhibition, said he believes art exists in everyday life. He said his work echoes the conflict that he observes in the world around him. But he also highlights the kind of repression individuals face because of social and political pressures.

In a three-panel oil-on-canvas piece, he shows a sword vertically penetrating a man’s torso against a bloodied red background. The blue bat-like wings jutting out from the torso’s back are chained. This is a statement, Dimax said, of how sometimes humans kill their own innate expression and creativity because of extraneous conditions.

But the influence of the eternal tussle of good and evil dominates Dimax’s art. One of his oil-and-acrylic-on-canvas pieces shows a yin-yang situation but the forms are highly stylised to look like tiny monsters. The colours in the background show some overlap as if to represent the grey areas of ethics and morality.



The Brazilian Ambassador Alfredo Leoni also attended the opening of the exhibition. “Art bridges different cultures and brings people closer together,” he said. “I do hope Dimax’s artworks will make Pakistani artists and public in general more curious about Brazil, Brazilian art and the rich cultural scene of Brazil today.”

Noshi Qadir, the curator of Tanzara Gallery, told The Express Tribune she has visited the Sao Paulo arts festival in Brazil and she was interested in bringing Brazilian art to Pakistan.

She said the Brazilian art is much different from that in Pakistan and displaying a Brazilian painter is, in fact, a way to invite Pakistani artists to explore international art.

In a written statement for the exhibition, Qadir said Dimax’s art is modernistic and his visual vocabulary demonstrates a surge of creativity has led to a lot of experimentation.

“His images are refreshing and intense, referring to an elemental passion that is both intuitive and instinctive,” she said, in the statement. “Dimax’s art is stimulating and energising, leaving the viewer with lasting impressions. It is a breath of fresh air.” The exhibition will continue till June 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2013.