Henrique Oliveira’s studio in São Paulo overflows with color. The flowing brush strokes and colors of his paintings seem almost to be attempting to enter the canvas itself. However, when you look at his three-dimensional pieces, you might think it a bit odd that he calls himself a painter.

“Lines —Aligning your consciousness with the flow”, an exhibition currently being held at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, features a huge sculpture created by Oliveira. Displayed at the entrance of the museum, this work that almost seems like a living creature is the result of his three-week residency there. This organic-looking sculpture is created using plywood, the intermingling of the various shades of wood resulting in a piece that seems to radiate with an energy that spreads all throughout the space.

Ourinhos, Oliveira’s birthplace located in the countryside of São Paulo, is a small town with a lush forest which has a different quality to the Amazon rainforest. Over two decades ago, back when he was studying at the University of São Paulo, Oliveira wondered if it were possible to feel like you were inside a painting. Spurred by this idea, he collected abandoned pieces of plywood left out in the street and brought them into his studio. He treated his walls as a canvas and experimented with using these pieces of plywood as an artistic material. Since then, he has used the depth and colors of plywood as part of his palette in order to create a whole range of site-specific works. During his residencies, Oliveira begins the process by walking around the venue looking for the ideal location for his work. Once he has found it, he begins sketching, and creates various prototypes as he decides on the shape of the work. After these preliminary stages, he works together with two assistants, utilizing his own original methods and techniques in order to bring his vision to life.

Oliveira often travels around the world, so it’s quite the miracle that I’ve always been able to meet him at his studio in São Paulo whenever I visit Brazil. Our conversations always begin with the paintings on his wall. From there, we chat about his fellow artists from his university years who have watched his work evolve from paintings into three-dimensional pieces, taxi drivers who quietly tell him where to find some plywood, and even his fascinating assistants who, despite living in different countries, are brought together to whatever city he is working in at the outset of his projects. His sculptures are brought to life thanks to the work of these invaluable colleagues.

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

Lines —Aligning your consciousness with the flow

https://www.kanazawa21.jp/data_list.php?g=65&d=1822

photo: Dead Sea –  Lines-Aligning your consciousness with the flow – 21st Century Art Museum, Kanazawa, Japan – plywood and driftwood – 3.6x4x18.8m