Title: Conceição dos Bugres
Description: This is the first monographic exhibition in a museum dedicated to the work of Conceição Freitas da Silva, known as Conceição dos Bugres (1914-1984), a fundamental artist to understand a more plural history of Brazilian sculpture in the 20th century. Conceição became renowned for her production of the so-called bugresʺ, wooden sculptures covered with wax and paint that she created incessantly over three decades, in Mato Grosso do Sul, where she migrated when leaving Povinho de Santiago, Rio Grande Sul. The title of the show is borrowed from a speech by the artist in a documentary recorded in 1979, reproduced in the title above and displayed on a monitor here. Conceição describes the forms taken by his pieces as a result of respecting the shape of the wood, which is wiseʺ. In fact, his way of carving is defined by the original material itself, according to its features and contours. An essential part of the artist's work is the choice of tree trunks for sculptures. From cylinders of different sizes and circumferences, and using an ax, she built figures to which she gave her own names, such as Mariquinha, João Grilo and Chiquinho. These names, however, were not recorded in the documents of the works, almost all without title and without date. Although at first glance the works look very much like each other, there are different choices and elements that make them unique. The heights of the 119 sculptures on display here vary from 4.5 cm to 115 cm. The grooves in the wood are of different depths and suggest the upper and lower limbs, as well as the eyes, mouth, nose, fingers and toes. There is great variety in the position of the hands and arms, in the haircuts and in the expression of the eyes, which turn in different directions. Some sculptures seem to smile at the viewer, while others give us a more incisive or penetrating look. The color also changes, either due to the aging of the wax or the use of paint - there are pieces in shades of gray, ocher and brown. Still others, painted in black, were named negrinhosʺ, with the hair simulating the frizzy of black people, different from a straight cut that, in turn, resembles the straight hair of indigenous people.
Subjects: Exhibitions, Criticism and interpretation, Women artists, Brazilian Wood sculpture, Catalogs, Sculpture
Places: Brazil
People: Conceição Freitas da Silva (1914-1984)
Time periods: 20th century