It is with great pleasure that we present “Cutout of sun on stage in penumbra”, Elvis Almeida’s first solo exhibition at the gallery, which opens to the public on May 23, 2024. The show is made up of 16 unpublished paintings from his most recent artistic output, which derive from observing the refraction of the sun’s rays that invaded the penumbra of the artist’s studio, located in Ramos, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, amidst debilitating heat that must easily exceed 40ºC – or at least that’s Elvis’ feeling.

The title of the exhibition works as a metaphor, in which Elvis relates the studio to the stage of a theater. The sudden burst of sunshine presented him with a ready-made set, opening the red curtains. The paintings would be nothing more than the staging of an actor – or rather, a painter – who tries to accompany, with gestures, shapes, feelings and colors, the traces of a luminous projection that quickly dissipates. Elvis shows how painting can be an exercise in observing the world around us, and to share his perspective with us, he creates this scenario that talks about space, time and memory.

In his works, we see a constant search for the fleeting, ephemeral instant, incapable of being fully translated. Perhaps for this reason, vibrant colors and repetitions of patterns are the way she finds to materialize and overcome this tacit incapacity. In his process, he always tries to place himself in a situation of instability. Without projects, sketches or models, this strategy allows him to look for solutions along the way. Perhaps the greatness of Elvis’ work is the fact that we become insignificant in front of it, due to its indecipherable and impermanent qualities.

Elvis Almeida was born in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives and works. He graduated in Printmaking from UFRJ (2013) and attended courses in Screenprinting at EAV Parque Lage and Art History at Redes da Maré, all in Rio de Janeiro. Her solo exhibitions include: Revelação durante o nascimento de uma gota, Paço Imperial, (Rio de Janeiro, 2018); O cotidiano das estruturas familiares, Projeto Tech_Nô, Oi Futuro Flamengo (Rio de Janeiro, 2017); Certezas para dobrar, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporânea (Rio de Janeiro, 2016); Uma cidade de xapisco dividida por um muro de cau, Amarelonegro Arte Contemporânea (Rio de Janeiro, 2010). Among the groups, the following stand out: Funk: Um dia de ousadia e Liberdade, Museu de Arte do Rio (Rio de Janeiro, 2023/2024); Cidade Mec Nic, Tropigalpão (Rio de Janeiro, 2022); Dia, noite, noite, Galpão Lapa (São Paulo, 2020); O Negócio da Alma, Centro Cultural dos Correios, (Rio de Janeiro, 2019); Pintura, Caixa Cultural (Rio de Janeiro, 2017); Um Desassossego, Galeria Estação (São Paulo, 2016); Oito artistas, Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, 2016); Gramática Urbana, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica (Rio de Janeiro, 2012); Arte Pará, Fundação Romulo Maiorana (Belém, 2011); Reality Reimagined, Modified Arts (Phoenix, 2010); Abre Alas 6, A Gentil Carioca (Rio de Janeiro, 2010); VI Bienal Internacional de Arte SIART (La Paz, 2009); Iluminando o Novo, Largo das Artes and Espaço Furnas Cultural (Rio de Janeiro, 2009).