Paulo Nazareth’s work often embodies simple gestures that bring about larger ramifications, conveying an awareness of often ignored issues of immigration, racism, and colonialism in his native Brazil and beyond to the international art world. While his work may manifest in video, photography, and found objects, his strongest medium may be in cultivating relationships with people he encounters on the road – particularly those who must remain invisible due to their legal status or those who are repressed by governmental authorities. In certain aspects, Nazareth uses the romantic ideal of the wandering artist seeking universal truths to usurp facile assumptions about national identity, cultural history, and human value. In our time of unprecedented exposure, where systematic oppression can be documented and broadcasted by anyone with a smartphone, Nazareth’s mission to represent the unrepresented is more relevant and persuasive than ever before.
Paulo Nazareth (b. Old man from Borun Nak [Vale do Rio Doce], Brazil / South America) lives and works throughout the world.