KATES-FERRI PROJECTS / ENIVO INTERVIEW

Where does your name ENIVO come from, and does it have a meaning?
ENIVO, when read backward, reads O VINE. That has been my nickname since I was a boy.

You are a Brazilian artist based in San Paulo. How is the art scene in your country?
Brazil is rich in culture, always colorful and tropical. It is a unique country where art pulsates strongly in all forms. More precisely, for contemporary art and Street Art, São Paulo stands out, presenting an important and very promising scene. After the pandemic, we see a strong comeback. With renowned art fairs like SP-Arte and major festivals such as NALATA and M.A.R (Museu de Arte de Rua – street art museum), we see beautiful murals of important artists in hundreds of buildings throughout São Paulo. The city is an open book where street writers make themselves exist, and pixadores climb buildings and write the history of art. I love my city. I love my country!

BRAZA is your first solo North American exhibition at Kates-Ferri Projects, curated by Simon Watson. On view are eight paintings depicting joyful party scenes from the favelas of Brazil. Can you elaborate on the body of work and exhibition?
Braza is an invitation to learn about charisma, simplicity, and Brazilian joy. Based on everyday situations, friends like Bela (DEUSSEJALOMBRADO) and Antônio Vinicius inspired me with their photographs of the ghettos that I frequent and through
memories, imagination, and photomontage. I compose scenes that portray the realities of the favelas!

If your artwork had music, what would be playing?
I feel that these paintings are already the music themselves! It may be playing BREGAFUNK, SAMBA, or HIP-HOP. I created a special playlist for the show ENIVO BRAZA NYC on Spotify.

We often think of the frozen moments in art when a subject is doing something or about to do something. What do you imagine happens later in the day or the following day in your pieces?
I try to immortalize the moment of the portrayed lives. But then everything remains as it is. When night falls, the worker goes home to rest for the next day to have the energy to start again. Young people dream of fast motorcycles and designer clothes. Drug
dealers continue to sell drugs in the alleys. The police continue to kill innocent black people, and politicians continue to steal from my people through high taxes and fewer rights. Change is very slow and has to come from the people themselves. And I hope that with Lula as the new president, the people in most need are looked after, and the country finds a more equal balance.

Describe your creative process.
My creative process is due to the fact of simple existence. Waking up and being alive is the first step to creating a good work of art. Good food, exercise, healing plants, and positive friendships provide good energy in the creative environment. Making graffiti and
staying active on the streets inspires me a lot. Besides that, It’s about looking around, translating the feelings, and materializing them in the paintings.

How do you know when a piece is complete?
I believe I never finish a painting. It’s an infinite process. Even after it is signed, the work is only complete when it’s out of my reach….

What is next for you?
I am very happy with my first show in New York and that I am participating in an artist residency program here (Simon Watson Arts – Artist in Residence) until February 2023. My new works are inspired by the daily life of New York, depicting anonymous people in public places. I hope New York gets to know my work, and I look forward to new opportunities.