Interview with Tereza de Arruda

Interview with Tereza de Arruda / 2018 (Art historian, graduate of the Free University of Berlin, and independent curator based in Berlin) for the catalog of the exhibition “On the Road,” held at Usina Cultural Energisa.

TA: I had the opportunity to follow your artistic production between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s through various projects, research, and activities carried out in João Pessoa and Berlin with the Centro de Artes Tambiá, founded and directed by the artist Marlene Almeida. There were also occasional visits to your studio in Porto Alegre, the city where you lived and which was also home to the Mercosul Biennial, which I have followed since its creation. Based on this context, I accepted the invitation to write a text about your work to be published in the 2001 catalog. On that occasion, I emphasized the expressionist nature of your works: “Your painting proposes the representation of a state of mind through specific means such as colors and unusual forms, expressing a resistance to the faithful representation of reality.” This observation still seems true of your current production. How do you perceive and define this characteristic that has been so present in your work for decades?

HM: Every artist has their own way of translating their ideas. Mine is through lines and expressions—and colors! When I start a work, I never know exactly what will happen; I just know that what is being placed there is important and will happen. A dialogue begins between the artist and the work that takes shape and transforms itself, and the reality being shown at that moment is a translation of my own reality. The essence of the work reflects my state of mind, often in relation to what I am living at that time. This has been my creative process for about twenty years. What changes is the maturation and evolution of the protagonist of the work—that is, the artist. My perspective and life experiences refine themselves over time, and translating these experiences onto canvas or paper remains my main form of expression.

TA: In 2001, I mentioned the Brazilian artist Ivald Granato and the Swiss artist, then based in Berlin, Luciano Castelli, as protagonists in the staging of the human figure through performances, some carried out in collaboration between the two. In recent years, João Pessoa, Porto Alegre, and even Berlin have ceased to be part of your main sphere of activity, as you settled in the United States—first in New York and now in Miami. Could you tell us which American or international artists have caught your attention in recent years on this new path?

HM: One of the great advantages of living in New York is undoubtedly the access to all kinds of artistic production. The city offers major museums, not only with excellent collections but also with a rich and varied exhibition program. Access to great masters—which is so important to any artist—is easy and abundant. In terms of contemporary art, the city has hundreds of galleries that constantly rotate exhibitions, showcasing both emerging and established artists. The same happens with art fairs throughout the year, such as Frieze Art in London and New York, and Art Basel in Switzerland and Miami. With all this available, the spectator—or the artist—has access to everything happening in the art world. Undoubtedly, this influences an artist’s work in some way, either by affirming their own path or by revealing new directions, materials, and aesthetics. I have always been deeply inspired by German Expressionist artists—from the founders of Die Brücke like Emil Nolde to more contemporary ones such as Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, and Sigmar Polke—all of whom had major exhibitions in New York in recent years. I had the pleasure of visiting Francesco Clemente’s studio several times in New York; I’ve always loved his paintings, and seeing him work was truly inspiring. James Turrell, who “paints” with light, had a fantastic exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 2013. But I still treasure four major exhibitions that were especially meaningful to me: Cy Twombly (MoMA, 1995), Willem de Kooning (The Met, 1995), Picasso and Portraiture (MoMA, 1996), and Picasso, Bacon, and Basquiat (Tony Shafrazi Gallery, 2004). In summary, it was this constant access to such sources of inspiration and information—and contact with a wide range of artists—that has most contributed to my growth and learning in recent years.

TA: Your works are marked by a female figure, a central protagonist isolated from any other pictorial context, with a piercing gaze that seeks direct dialogue with the viewer. Your paintings emanate an autobiographical character without resorting to objects or other autobiographical artifices. Is this characteristic intentional or coincidental?

HM: My work is based on translating my life experiences onto canvas or paper. That undoubtedly gives it an autobiographical character. This happens through the human figure—most often depicted as women, and other times as genderless figures. I project my experience and emotions onto that figure, and it is this image that communicates with the viewer. The viewer’s response is always filtered through their own reality. The interpretation of the work lies in the dialogue the viewer establishes with it. In the end, I, the artist, am telling a story—or my version of a story—through that figure. That is the main intention of my work. But it is the viewer’s response that brings one of the most rewarding moments of creation. Everyone responds differently. This dialogue between the artist, the work, and the viewer is the final result I seek to achieve in each piece I create.

TA: How do you relate to other artists whose works also reveal an autobiographical character, such as Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon, or Andy Warhol? Are the works autonomous from their creators, or do you always connect artist and work in a relationship of full symbiosis?

HM: I believe that every artist is autobiographical, since within their chosen medium they express their opinions or version of reality through their own experience. In some artists, this is more explicit than in others. Each has their unique way of transferring their experiences and emotions into their work. Among the artists you mentioned, I particularly admire Francis Bacon. I had the privilege of seeing several important exhibitions of his work in New York and London. Although I don’t necessarily identify with the subjects or themes of his paintings, I find his technique and style very inspiring. In many of my works, I paint and draw on coarse linen, something I started doing years ago inspired by his paintings. But despite using similar materials, the final result is completely different—whether because of technique or because of the distinct experiences each artist brings to their work. The artist is always connecting their reality with their art.

TA: This is your first solo exhibition in Brazil since moving to the United States, conceived for Usina Cultural in João Pessoa, your hometown. You return at a time when the Brazilian art scene is no longer centralized in the south and southeast. The Brazilian Northeast has a rich socio-cultural heritage, with numerous artists who are relevant not only to Brazilian contemporary art but also internationally. Focusing only on Paraíba, we can mention names such as Antonio Dias, José Rufino, and Sérgio Lucena. How important is it for you to present your current production to the public of João Pessoa?

HM: The Brazilian Northeast has historically always had a rich and significant cultural production—in all areas. And the state of Paraíba has always held a special place in the arts. In the mid-1990s, the artist Marlene Almeida founded and directed the Centro de Artes Visuais de Tambiá (CAVT), establishing a cultural bridge between artists from João Pessoa and Berlin. I learned to use dry pigments in my work with her. I also owe much of my artistic education to the artist Flávio Tavares. It was with him that I learned about color, form, and rhythm. Flávio has been a great encourager of my work and a great mentor, from whom I continue to learn to this day. The many occasions I spent in his studio—working or observing—were great sources of inspiration and knowledge.

It was through the active CAVT that I first went to Berlin to participate in a workshop at Freie Kunstschule Berlin in 2000. Through other channels, curator Risoleta Córdula for many years promoted artists from Paraíba in France, at the Centre Social et Culturel Franco-Brésilien in Paris, where I exhibited in 2001. Later, in 2016, the Paraíba-born Carioca Noemi D’Ávila created an artist residency program in Provence promoting Brazilian artists, and I was the only participant from Paraíba that year. I must also mention the Centro Cultural São Francisco, NAC, and Archyde Picado Gallery, among other important cultural institutions in Paraíba. Since 2003, Usina Cultural Energisa has been organizing exhibitions and cultural events in João Pessoa, coordinated by the artist and curator Dyógenes Chaves. This allows the general public of the city and the state to access well-produced and meaningful exhibitions.

Even without exhibiting in João Pessoa in recent years, I have a dedicated audience and collectors there—people who are very attentive to art in its various manifestations. It is both a personal joy and a great challenge to present my most recent works at Usina Cultural Energisa in João Pessoa. It feels like bringing back to the city everything I’ve learned over these past years.

TA: Is there any specific characteristic of Miami, where you currently live and work, that reminds you of your homeland and might influence your current production?

HM: I consider myself quite nomadic. I was born in João Pessoa but have lived in several places since then. Because my work carries a strong autobiographical dimension, I absorb a little from every place I’ve lived, whether for short or long periods. I often say that I learned to use yellows while living in João Pessoa because of the sunlight, pinks in Porto Alegre because of the color of azalea flowers, and blues and blacks while living in New York. Traveling also inspires me deeply—I started using graphite black after a workshop in Berlin, lilac pigments after my artist residency in Provence, and more recently reds and oranges after a stay in Vietnam and Thailand.

In Miami, the sunlight and brightness are abundant, the colors more vivid, and living and working again in a seaside city certainly influences my work in some way. Like João Pessoa, Miami has a large artistic community outside the main centers (São Paulo/Rio de Janeiro, New York/Los Angeles), but both are gaining recognition as vibrant centers of artistic production. In addition to hosting Art Basel Miami, one of the largest art fairs in the world, the city has an ongoing and important cultural scene with institutions such as PAMM (Perez Art Museum), ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art), and the Museum of Art and Design, as well as major private collections like the Rubell Family Collection, Margulies Collection, Cisneros Art Foundation, and Y.ES Contemporary Art, among many others.

I established my studio here in 2017 and have since been working to participate in both the Miami and Brazilian art scenes. At this moment, I am especially focused on my exhibition at Usina Cultural Energisa in João Pessoa and on my work with the gallery that represents me in Brazil—Bolsa de Arte in Porto Alegre and São Paulo—directed by gallerists Marga Pasquali and Egon Kroeff.