As mentioned previously in our preview, young Brazilian artist Finok, member of the infamous Vlok crew, recently opened an exhibition in his hometown of Sao Paulo. Hosted by Smith Galleria, Despacho is not only his first big solo show in Brazil, but also his most coherent and complex show to date. Finok spent a big part of the year working on the pieces for the mostly sold-out show, and as evidenced by the positive response from local and worldwide art lovers, all the time and effort put into creating works and building the show installation was well worth it.
With mostly large size works, which rarely form a classic flat rectangular shape, Finok combined various techniques and mediums, pushing his familiar concepts to a new level. His influences include the rich Brazilian culture, different traditions he’s experienced in his daily life, as well as during his travels, all resulting in a rich body of work that took some time for gallery visitors to go over and absorb. Staying true to his street origins and consistent in his style, he managed to redefine his signature imagery and make it look more tribal, more authentic, or even with a more contemporary feel depending on a particular piece. Painting his recognizable characters as well as rich patterns, and building clusters of playful, colorful images and unique pieces, the Brazilian artist put so much time in both in creating the artwork and the installation in the gallery space. He also challenged himself by working with wood, fabric, creating sculptures, clusters of drawings and sketches, clusters of traditional children’s kites, and even setting up a small Botecco, a traditional Brazilian bar that can be found in the poor neighborhoods.
The show is on view until 21st of December, so if you’re in the area make sure you take some time to check it out in person.
Discuss Finok here.
