EUSTÁQUIO NEVES

The work of Neves, from Minas Gerais, is marked by his mastery of physical, chemical, and symbolic interference. His art creates new meanings and invites us to think about things that are not clearly apparent. Registers from the past meet the present, evoking themes such as racism, identity, and memory, while personal issues appear in series such as “Máscara de punição” (Punishment mask). The series includes images from the Museu do Escravo (Slave Museum) and pictures of his mother: “Neves has decided not to ignore his condition as a Black man in Brazil. [...] His art is clearly aimed at and engaged with his Black condition, and it reflects his awareness of the fact that the countless aspects and situations regarding these issues cannot be expressed without returning to ancestral dialogues,” according to the English photography critic Mark Sealy. His installation "Outros navios" (Other ships) is an extension of his work with photographic paper. The installation includes images from the following series: “Arturos”, about descendants from a “quilombo” (village of runaway slaves), “Boa aparência” (Good appearance), about job announcements requiring “good appearance” (a veiled way of excluding Black people), “Objetização do corpo” (Objectification of the body), about the absence of Black people in advertising, and “Máscara de punição” (Punishment mask). These series are combined with texts from the colonial era that mention “runaway Blacks” appearance.

Born in 1955, in Juatuba, Neves lives and works in Diamantina. A self-taught artist, Neves studied acoustic guitar and chemistry before fully dedicating himself to photography, near the end of the eighties. He participated in the Havana Biennale, the Photofesta, in Maputo, Mozambique, and in the Ves Rencontres de la Photographie Africaine, in Bamako, Mali.

Outros navios (Other ships) | Salvador, 2005