Exhibition False Symmetry, by Osvaldo Carvalho

The Embassy of Brazil in London is proud to announce the first edition of BREEZE with the exhibition False Symmetry by Osvaldo Carvalho

BREEZE 2023 INAUGURAL SHOW
False Symmetry , Osvaldo Carvalho
Organised by Janaina Torres Galeria
Dates: 5 – 29 October 2023
Sala Brasil, Embassy of Brazil in London
14-16 Cockspur St, London SW1Y 5BL
https://www.artbreeze.info/

The pioneering Brazilian painter Osvaldo Carvalho was chosen to launch the Embassy of Brazil’s contemporary art programme, presenting works in vibrant colours to convey an acute social commentary in his first solo show in the UK.

Image: Osvaldo Carvalho, Cárites , 2020. Courtesy of the artists and Janaina Torres Galeria.

The Embassy of Brazil in London is pleased to inaugurate the programme BREEZE with the exhibition False Symmetry , by Brazilian contemporary painter Osvaldo Carvalho . Represented by Janaina Torres Galeria , Carvalho’s first solo show in the UK delves into power dynamics in captivatingly bold colours and imagery derived from mass culture, and evocative representations of public and private spaces.

False Symmetry is the winning proposal from BREEZE’s open call, which ran from October 2022 to January 2023, inviting galleries from all over the world to submit proposals to present the artworks of Brazilian artists. Designed to promote contemporary Brazilian art to a global audience and strengthen its place in the international art market, the Embassy's programme awards the winning project with production support and an exhibition space for four weeks at the Sala Brasil, the Embassy’s main cultural space, located within a short distance from the National Gallery in the heart of London.

The Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom , Antonio Patriota , comments on the BREEZE: "With BREEZE, the Embassy of Brazil launches a new strategy to intensify and widen the presence of Brazilian contemporary art in one of the principal capitals of the art world, during its main fair: Frieze. We are confident that BREEZE will inaugurate a platform for bold creativity and truly embody the vigour of both our emerging and established voices."

Image: Osvaldo Carvalho, Danae & Perseu , 2022. Courtesy of the artists and Janaina Torres Galeria.

False Symmetry combines Osvaldo Carvalho’s most recent series with selected pieces from his award-winning exhibition Promising Land (2011-2017), and focuses on the social and environmental impacts of human actions and asymmetry of power relations.

Set against a pop atmosphere bursting with colours, figures, fragments, and symbols familiar from popular culture, Carvalho depicts everyday life on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, while proposing a critical narrative thread of the here and now – what remains and what is to come. The ever-vibrant colour palette, along with juxtaposition of elements, invites the viewer to reflect on the contradictions of modern society, the dire consequences of its exploitative system, and pressing social issues that go beyond Brazilian society.

As the curatorial committee described in a joint statement, “ Osvaldo Carvalho’s 'False Symmetry' series is more than pertinent to contemporary Brazil – as well as to current international debates. […] Often sub-sectioned into different views, angles, and sequential time-lapses, [the paintings] attest to the local impact of global phenomena, from the pandemic to the climate crisis.”

Image: Osvaldo Carvalho, Hotel Haiti (Série Terra Prometida), 2013/2015. Courtesy of the artists and Janaina Torres Galeria.

Symmetry and asymmetry are not only a subject matter but also a formal recourse. The artist makes use of canvases that deliberately deviate from conventional dimensions; figures with intentionally skewed proportions for compositional balance; bold colour palettes and disproportionate graphic divisions to reflect the profound social and environmental imbalances in society.

“Each person has a very different point of departure in life, whether as a woman, as a racialised and/or LGBTQ+ individual; there is a whole array of people and communities who are inherently excluded and do not have the same starting point as others. The sooner we critically address this myth and tackle those false symmetries, the sooner we can reach common ground as a society.”

– Osvaldo Carvalho

OSVALDO CARVALHO
Osvaldo Carvalho was born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 1976. He holds a Master's degree in Visual Poetics from the University of São Paulo. Beyond his most recognisable output as a painter, Carvalho's practice encompasses drawing, sculpture, photography, and video. Having been previously exhibited in countries including France, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Colombia, and Brazil, his work is held in art collections such as MARGS (Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul), the National Library of Rio de Janeiro, and the SESC Amapá Collection.


BREEZE
Created in 2018 and enacted shortly after the pandemic, BREEZE is an initiative by the Embassy of Brazil in London, which aims to promote contemporary Brazilian art to a global audience and strengthen its place in the international art market.

In its current form, it involves an annual open call to select an exhibition to be hosted at the Embassy’s main cultural venue, Sala Brasil, which is a short distance from the National Gallery. Held in one of the busiest periods of the year for visual arts, when professionals and audiences from all over the world come to London for Frieze art fair, Breeze is expected to develop new formats in coming iterations, including artist and research residencies, and editorial publishing.

ABOUT JANAINA TORRES GALERIA
Established in 2016, the Janaina Torres Galeria embraces a curatorial program that aims to reflect a broad cultural context, where aesthetic experience aligns with geographical, political, and social issues. The gallery strives to promote its artists with responsibility and dedication, ensuring that their legacy is recognised and endorsed by the most respected institutions. Rooted in its mission to educate, bring together, and connect artists, curators, collectors, and art enthusiasts, the gallery seeks to secure genuine access for diverse audiences to a compelling and vibrant Brazilian artistic production.

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