Paulo Nimer Pjota, a 37-year-old Brazilian artist who began graffiti at age 13 in São Paulo, has opened his first UK institutional exhibition at the South London Gallery. Titled 'Encantados' (Enchanted), the show features 11 new paintings on canvas displayed against a large wall drawing. His works blend motifs from mythology, Brazilian folklore, art history, and children's literature, creating fantastical scenes with layers of acrylic, oil, and tempera.
Pjota compares his process to a hip-hop producer, sampling imagery from diverse sources. One painting, 'The Land Before Time for Jorge', includes two cacti resembling Greek tragedy masks with features of ancient Japanese warriors, set against a background from a 15th-century colonial invasion painting. The piece was created for his son and references a film widely watched by Brazilian children.
The wall painting at the gallery features a menagerie of creatures playing musical instruments, recalling Pjota's youth in the graffiti and hip-hop scene of São José do Rio Prêto. He started art at a local hip-hop school, joining a crew with teachers and meeting renowned graffiti artists like Os Gêmeos. 'Hip-hop and street culture, it's about revolution and community,' he said.
Pjota sold his first painting at age 15 through a community project. He moved to São Paulo at 17 for art college, where the graffiti scene was harsher with more police brutality. His first exhibition at Mendes Wood DM gallery in 2012 featured larger paintings with motifs like crabs and crystals, often on scrap metal or found textiles. Now, his work continues to evolve, rooted in his lifelong practice.
