Guilherme Almeida is a more complex artist than he might seem at first glance.
Oliviero Falconi | Guilherme Almeida is a more complex artist than he may appear at first glance, 2022
The dense, textured colors and the elementary, flat lines should not deceive regarding the power of a highly contemporary language. It moves through images that are seemingly simple and naive but are, in fact, capable of competently representing a specific sociality and a culture—distant from Western norms—that rejects such homologation, emancipating itself from the white world to unequivocally reclaim a distinct Black identity.
The faces painted on newspaper pages (a material deliberately used as a rupture with pictorial tradition) are joyful and smiling, depicting the artist’s family members or well-known figures of Brazilian Black culture—stars, singers, dancers, or athletes whose radiant and serene expressions emerge overwhelmingly from the center of the sheet. These faces dominate and distance themselves from news stories that often narrate the contemporary Black situation negatively. They move away from stereotypical opinions to robustly declare a positive experience of identity and the specificity of their own culture, even as part of a globalized world.
Through these portraits, Almeida seeks to create a perimeter that outlines a model of sociability where the family dimension plays a primary role, immersing the viewer in these works. The pieces exude color, serenity, passion, and confidence in life, exalting the beauty and richness of Black culture while referencing the balance achieved by this community within a tormented history.
Thus, the smiles with gold teeth are a reference—however subtle—to all the conflicts these people have had to live with, from slavery to the political abuses of the dictatorship, and the racial contrasts from which, as mentioned above, a strong will for liberation now emerges. The desire to distance himself from the white Western model of life is also evident.
Using this literal figuration to represent this world is highly contextual and consistent with the artist’s young age. His images, which speak the language social media has accustomed us to, are universal and facilitate access for anyone who encounters them, even when telling complex stories. By using this ultra-contemporary language, the ability to deal with complex themes in a fresh, light, and graceful manner foreshadows an unlimited communicative potential for these works.