Ruas de São Paulo:
A Survey of Brazilian Street Art from São Paulo
Presented in association with Choque Cultural Gallery
Artists Included: Boleta, Fefê, Highraff, Kboco, Onesto, Speto, Titi Freak, and Zezão
Opening reception – Saturday, February 17th, 6pm-9pm
February 17, 2007
through March 17, 2007
EIGHT BRAZILIAN STREET ARTISTS TRAVEL TO NEW YORK FOR LANDMARK EXHIBITION IN NEWLY EXPANDED GALLERY SPACE
NEW YORK (January, 2007) — On February 17, 2007, Jonathan LeVine Gallery, in association with Choque Cultural Gallery, presents Ruas de São Paulo: A Survey of Brazilian Street Art From São Paulo, featuring artists Boleto, Fefê, Highraff, Kboco, Onesto, Speto, Titi Freak, and Zezão. This landmark exhibition will be on view through March 17, 2007 in a newly renovated and expanded gallery space, which will cover approximately 4500 square feet, creating an arena for one of the largest events ever to take place at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 17, from 6p.m. to 9p.m. at Jonathan LeVine Gallery.
Ruas de São Paulo allows eight Brazilian street artists to present their non-traditional painting styles and native culture. Choque Cultural Gallery, based in São Paulo, will collaborate on this exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art, and explore Brazil’s graffiti heritage and influence on current South American mural art. Ruas de São Paulo will offer exposure for these talented artists in the art capital of the world, bringing recognition to a growing international graffiti art scene. For many of the artists, this will be their first time traveling to and showcasing their work in the United States. This will be the first group exhibition of its kind, a distinct collaboration between Jonathan LeVine Gallery and Choque Cultural Gallery.
Video monitors featuring short video clips of interviews with artists, footage of site-specific murals in Brazil, as well as the Choque Cultural Gallery exhibition space and São Paulo artist community, will be on view.
Choque Cultural Gallery’s pivotal role in creating an environment where artists congregate, collaborate, and share ideas, and the story of this “new Brazilian art” is explored in documentaries highlighting the vibrant lifestyle of the Brazilian street art scene. The film ‘Zezão’s Art & Life’ (55 minutes) will feature Baixo and Mariana Ribeiro, owners of Choque Cultural Gallery, who explain Zezão’s creative process and the influence of his urban experiences in his fine art.
Ruas de São Paulo captures the changing Brazilian urban landscape, raw and uninhibited graffiti scene, and is a snapshot of a thriving movement stemming from a rich political and poetic history. A city destroyed by pichação (markings originating from inner-city, impoverished neighborhoods), these young, innovative Brazilian muralists are now transforming, and beautifying, the city of São Paulo. The result is a hybrid of graffiti and mural art, a cultural reflection of contemporary São Paulo. Viewers can observe the influence São Paulo has had on each artist through their individual style, which combines a distinctly Brazilian aesthetic with talent, innovation, and imagination. Each of the eight artists will present more than a dozen individual works, including acrylic and spray-painting on wood, canvas, paper and found objects.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
SPETO , at 34 years old, is one of Brazil’s most popular street artists. He attributes his visual style to hip-hop influences, local popular culture, and eclectic world styles. Speto’s original graffiti blends lines of traditional Brazilian northeastern woodcarving styles with sophisticated textures and figurative imagery. Working in variety of mediums, including murals, illustration, and graphics, he fuses modern techniques with Brazilian cultural heritage to create a distinctive form of street art.
BOLETA 29, represents the psychedelic side of Brazilian graffiti. Influenced primarily by tattoo themes, the construction of his drawings results in an
original style — rich with line work, colors, interesting forms and figures.
FEFÊ TALAVERA , 27, graduated with a focus in fine arts, but found that street art was the fuel she was looking for to give more strength to her ideas. Her most well known work is made of gluing cut out letterings from popular concert-announcement posters found on almost every wall in São Paulo. Fefê also has an extensive vocabulary present in her paintings, drawings, and carvings. She is inspired by Mayan and Aztec mythologies, and Mexican heritage.
ALEX HORNEST , 30, has a striking history in Brazilian graffiti. He has 72 different signatures, one for each working concept, which he identifies as “72 d.i.e.s.e.l.” The oldest signature, Onesto, is recognized primarily for portraits of fantastic beings. Alex Hornest blends these different visual codes and intertwines their styles to create stunning imagery.
RAFAEL CALAZANS , 29, whose codename is Highraff, creates imagery of cities and colorful landscapes, with vibrant results. In his latest body of work, Highraff develops his drawings by adding a three-dimensional component. Through use of MDF material, he turns mural imagery into elaborate sceneries and sculptures. His process creates depth and design of monumental proportions.
KBOCO , 27 years old, was born and raised in Goiânia, an innermost city of Brazil. His drawing style —— strongly influenced by his origins —— is more ornate and delicate than those found in the city São Paulo. He has developed an original calligraphy mixing arabesques and “pichação”. His styles has a strong decorative appeal resulting in elaborate paintings, full of layers, details and refined colors.
TITI FREAK 32, draws inspirations from his Japanese heritage. His style fuses eastern and western cultures, where fashion, pop imagery, illustration, yo-yo, graffiti and comic strips intertwine. He maintains a curious spirit, through an exploration of painting surfaces and the creation of elaborate and densely patterned canvases.
ZEZÃO , 34, is one of the leaders of Brazilian abstract graffiti. His trademark arabesques have roots in the Brazilian style of tagging letters called “pixação”. His most striking works are creations in the São Paulo sewer system and subterranean water ducts.
ABOUT CHOQUE CULTURAL GALLERY
Choque Cultural is a contemporary art gallery exhibiting pop, outsider art. Since its first exhibition in 2004, Choque Cultural Gallery has become a safe harbor for artists inspired by an eclectic mix of origins including tattoo, graffiti, graphic design and illustration.
Choque Cultural is a contemporary art gallery exhibiting pop, outsider art. Since its first exhibition in 2004, Choque Cultural Gallery has become a safe harbor for artists inspired by an eclectic mix of origins including tattoo, graffiti, graphic design and illustration.
Choque Cultural is based in São Paulo, Brazil — a city known for vibrant street art, talented graffiti artists, and culturally expressive art. All this creative energy ignites inside the gallery with its ever-changing environment. Each exhibition is a creative installation and reflection of the contemporary Brazilian street art movement.
Choque Cultural has an important role in cultivating these emerging art forms and cutting-edge contemporary styles. Through fresh and unconventional programs, Choque Cultural receives a loyal following of young collectors and prominent recognition in the Brazilian contemporary art world.
Boleta
Fefê
Highraff
Kboco |
Onesto
Speto
Titi Freak
Zezão |
HT 