Bacaiu
Chamos Hostel Cultural - Arraial Do Cabo, Brazil
A pufferfish shaped like a mandala that resembles the sun. A sun that, in Western culture, is often interpreted as a god. Baiacu, sun, or god? All or none? What do you see? What I intended to represent no longer matters. Once the work is complete, it no longer belongs to me. It belongs to the observer, to you who are looking at it—it is yours. So, I ask again, what do you see? Who is the main character? And the fish below? Why are there three? Why is one swimming against the current? And that turtle—where is it going? Why does it seem like everything is emanating from it? Is it the one imagining all of this? Is it the creator of the entire scene? Why does it have two eyes on its shell? And the other turtle? Do they know each other?
The artist's role is to ask questions, not to provide answers.
The sun: In many cultures, it represents the masculine; the sun is a source of strength, warmth, vitality, youth, and knowledge.
Water: On the other hand, it is the source of life, symbolizing fertility and representing the feminine.
Thus, the feminine and the masculine are reproduced as dualities that oppose, contradict, but above all, complement each other.
The fish: Fish are associated with fishing and therefore with nourishment; they become a symbol of abundance in Western culture. In Eastern cultures, however, the symbolism varies slightly. For example, in Buddhism, fish are associated with happiness and freedom.
The pufferfish: As a totem, it relates to confidence, self-assurance, and self-defense. It involves setting personal boundaries and maintaining balance between opposites, such as work and play. In this sense, the pufferfish becomes a symbol of moderation.
The turtles: Due to their long lifespan, turtles accumulate experience and knowledge, embodying the archetype of the wise elder. Wisdom, intuition, protection, and connection are the characteristics associated with this creature.
The number three: Three are the forces of matter: action, reaction, and inertia. Three are our mental operations: idea, judgment, and reasoning. Three are the types of ideas: universal, particular, and singular. Three are the parts of any story: beginning, middle, and end. Three are our primary instincts: nutrition, reproduction, and survival. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva in Hindu Brahmanism; Isis, Osiris, and Horus in Egypt; Baal, Melqart, and Astarte with the Phoenicians: the trinity is significant in various cosmologies and religions related to the creation of the universe. Thus, the number three is considered sacred by many.
These are merely explanations of the symbols that appear in a mural made by me, but ultimately this is not an interpretation. So, I ask again, what do you see?
PROCESS
Chamos Hostel Cultural
Arraial do Cabo - Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Around 5 x 3 meters