Contemporary Chaos

Diving
In the abyss of colors
I don't feel anything anymore.
Around me
They combine
And they originate
The colors
From the night
Of the day
From the source
Facing the insignificant
Existence"

Pedro Virgílio began painting in 2018, at the age of 14, following a suggestion from an art intern that he explore abstract art for expression. Despite his young age, Pedro experienced an adolescence marked by episodes of depression and difficulty coping with personal and existential issues. Addressing this issue is relevant because it is deeply connected to his personality and creative drive.

This exhibition features acrylic paintings on canvas, with vibrant, deep colors and full of gestural expression. Visiting this show is a journey through the complex feelings that Pedro seeks to express. Often, an artist's need for expression is urgent and multifaceted. Pedro has a collection of poems, such as the one that opens this text. The poems are touchingly sincere, and it is impossible to separate his poetic production from his painting, and vice versa. Through poetry, Pedro gives clear signs of his vision of the world around him, of the harsh reality of being a very young boy, but already with the sky hovering over his shoulders. Does he paint poems? Perhaps. I didn't ask because that might not be relevant. What matters is the creative and very legitimate force that arises from the artist's need to create an original and powerful work. There is no doubt that Pedro has a long road ahead of him and that his work should advance even further, and who knows, perhaps even in new directions such as performance and video, because Pedro's world is much larger than this selection of paintings that I had the privilege of choosing. This exhibition embodies an important stage: having the courage to expose oneself. And that is not something easy to reconcile. Poetry is freedom. Freedom is imprisonment. Exhibiting oneself is an act of courage and audacity.

Art has the capacity for transcendence, and through it we can make our existence lighter and more tangible. Art is capable of treating some wounds, but it cannot always heal them. Healing comes from accepting our nature, as imperfect beings in constant mutation. Moving forward, creating, brings this feeling that it is worthwhile to resist.

If all else fails, we will have art, that concrete, human, abstract, and captivating feminine noun with which we dance on the edge of the abyss of our souls.

Fernando Spaziani