COLORADO SPRINGS, CO.- The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College announces “Raízes/Roots,” an exhibition showcasing Brazilian artists’ contemporary approaches to illustrating social issues, on display Aug. 19 through Nov. 15, 2017. This exhibition features contemporary artists – Ana Carolina Fernandes, Annie Gonzaga, Elisa Reimer, and Henrique Oliveira – with a reception and performance of Brazilian music at the FAC on Friday, Sept. 1, from 5 – 7:30 p.m.

“Raízes/Roots: Transformations in Brazilian Art” showcases four dynamic artists whose work addresses questions surrounding Brazilian national identity in the 21st century – including race, gender identity, sexuality, and the lingering consequences of colonialism.

Curated by Naomi Wood, professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Colorado College, with assistance from Mitra Ghaffari, a 2017 graduate of Colorado College, this exhibition seeks to complicate Brazil’s typical associations with soccer, samba, and carnival, and instead explore the fluidity, elasticity, and expansiveness of a highly diverse land and people.

“Raízes/Roots” Artists
Ana Carolina Fernandes (Rio de Janeiro) is a distinguished photojournalist who uses the camera as a tool for protest and activism, often representing political resistance and marginalized identities in powerfully energized images. Her “Bodies and Souls” series is the result of over two years documenting a trans community in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro.

Annie Gonzaga (Salvador) identifies as lesbian, black, a mother, and practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble. Through vibrant watercolors, installations, and graffiti, she creates a dialogue between spirituality, ancestry, body, and sexuality. She considers her work to be “artivism” (art activism), resisting and challenging hegemonic representation of social issues. Gonzaga will demonstrate her graffiti art at JAM FAC on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Elisa Riemer (Maringá) is a mixed media artist who collages graphics into a complexity of sensation, transformation, and affirmation. Her work has been featured on covers of internationally acclaimed novels by Anne Larue and Emily Nagosky.

Henrique Oliveira (São Paulo) is a painter and sculptor primarily known for his large-scale installation pieces and sculptures crafted from recycled wood. Showcasing another side of the dynamic artist, this exhibit will highlight his acrylic paintings, notable for an unrestrained fluidity and abstraction of color and movement.