UNTITLED | ROSANA PAULINO

The research of Rosana Paulino (São Paulo, Brazil, 1967) is situated within the context of the African diaspora in South America, drawing from both a personal and, when possible, historical institutional archive: as the artist herself bitterly notes, her educational journey lacked Afro-Brazilian references—not because they were hard to find, but because they simply did not exist. This absence fueled her need to achieve identity awareness and affirm her presence in the art world.
Paulino aims to acknowledge the unfavorable conditions in which women have generally operated within the art world, focusing particularly on ‘Amefrican’—a term introduced by Brazilian philosopher Lélia Gonzáles to describe people of African origin who migrated to the Americas—within Latin American societies like Brazil.
Paulino’s research also delves into the more ‘scientific’ aspects of these themes, addressing issues associated with what is termed ‘racial biology’: this pseudo-scientific field uses anthropology to propose theories supporting the inferiority (or superiority) of certain human groups over others based on their ancestry.

Untitled (2016) is a project with a powerful visual impact: it is presented as a patchwork of printed and sewn fabrics, each depicting a different scene—a portrait of a woman, a drawing of a human bone, a sailing ship. Each image is laden with meaning, and together they create a narrative that speaks of colonialism, slavery, and identity.
Paulino’s approach is poetic in its narrative style, seeking out symbolism—on the ship’s foremast sail, the cross symbol of the colonial fleets stands out. Yet it is also ruthlessly direct, displaying vivid subjects such as a bright red heart or the profile of a skull.
The seams that bind the various elements of the composition together resemble sutures, evoking a Frankenstein-like aesthetic that perhaps does not merely characterize the artwork’s appearance, but metaphorically conveys the ugliness and unjustifiable cruelty of history itself.
The woman’s gaze is proud and locks eyes with the viewer: she is presented naked, even examined via x-rays in some parts of the artwork. However, her nudity is not an indication of vulnerability but rather an honest demand for confrontation. There is no escape, only the awareness that we must face the past we come from and its consequences.

Rosana Paulino
Untitled, 2016
Printing on fabric, drypoint and sewing, 58 × 89,5 cm
Photo Credit: Bruno Leão
Courtesy of the Artist and Mendes Wood DM São Paulo Brussels Paris New York

23/11/24