“I believe we already have the power to change the World. It is easier to draw attention to what is wrong in the world but quite difficult to look inside ourselves.”
Name
Uéslei Fagundes
Profession
Artist / Painter
Website
Who are you? What do you do?
I am self-taught artist and I explore subjects such as transformation, self-knowledge, symbolism, cultural heterogeneity and the democratization of self-expression, specially through the internet world. Quite often, we prefer to leave out the perception of what triggers our fears and traumas. Nonetheless, my work aims to approach these themes as an act of liberation.
Where are you from?
I’m from Novo Hamburgo, a city in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Your style in 3 words?
Self-knowledge, Subjectivity, Storytelling
Your weakness? Your strength?
Self-sabotage. Persistence. Once I set my heart on something, I will persistently put in all the efforts to get it. Failures and setbacks never let me down for a long time.
What makes you different?
I believe in the personal development of each individual in pursuing his mission in life. Being a self-taught artist and experiencing a creative field without borders but full of ambitions sets me apart. The Midheaven in Aquarius placed in my Birth Chart also has a strong influence on it. As an astrology lover I try to explore as much as I can of this characteristic. The midheaven is our reputation in the eyes of society, as well as the ways we go about earning it. It means that this placement in Aquarius pursue an unconventional attitude towards the career, seeking always for originality.
When did you decide to become an artist?
It is difficult to say when exactly I ended up becoming a painter. I used to draw and paint a lot when I was a child but I think I was born with this gift, just like everyone is born with a special talent. Along the way our mission is to find it and care for it.
What do you find most fascinating about the creative process?
The most fascinating about it is to work outside of the rules and formalities implied by established institutions that systematized art into defined standards over time. Freedom talks a lot about my work.
A few words about your favourite creation?
I have many favourite works lately but “Letters to the Universe” depicts a very special connection with nature and it was painted in a period of deep transformations in my life. It is also loaded with symbolism, which is something I’m endlessly fascinated by.
Someone else’s work that inspired or inspires you…
I have many inspirations and they change constantly but some of the most enduring are Peter Doig, Mamma Andersson and Edvard Munch.
Who would you like to work with someday and why?
I’d love to work alongside Cecily Brown because she appears to be an approachable person even with all her well-deserved recognition in the art world. It all seems so simple when she talks.
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
I want to deepen my studies about psychoanalysis and archetypes in parallel with a new body of work that I’ve already begun to paint and I intend to exhibit abroad in 2020.
Finish the sentence „More important than my career is…“
having physical and mental health to develop my personal mission which inevitably is tied to my career. This is the most convenient answer for someone with the Sun placed in the 10th house in the Birth Chart.
2019: Where are we going?
I have a Solo Exhibition that will take place in July and many plans to travel and set my studio in another country.
When the going gets tough…
I practice Ho’oponopono.
Your city’s favourite spots?
I’m living a very introspective and enriching moment since I came back from Ireland (where I lived for more than 3 years). This exchange completely changed my life and my work and I feel a huge desire to analyse everything from the inside out, especially in my studio so I don’t have favourite places to point out and I regret nothing.
Put on your future vision glasses: What direction is our generation moving in, what will our world look like in 50 years?
I do not know exactly but I hope we are moving to a greener, borderless place where all kinds of intolerance will no longer take part in any speech or attitude in our society.
What would you do if you could change the World?
I believe we already have the power to change the World. It is easier to draw attention to what is wrong in the world but quite difficult to look inside ourselves. I just love this quote:
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. — Leo Tolstoy.
If the universe is everything and it’s expanding, what is it expanding into?
As I believe everything is energy, we’re all connected by the same frequency and expanding to a truer, simpler and deeper collective understanding of what matters to us as human beings. I’m also trying to find a better answer to this question through art.
Tell us about your future plans…
My plans are to live abroad again and expand my community, learning about other cultures. Also to study another language and go bigger professionally. I feel the need to be seen and heard.
Last but not least: what is your favourite Song?
I love songs that take me back in time and evoke some memories so I could mention several. But for sure Radiohead, Irish and Celtic Music are always in my playlist when at the studio.
One last statement please: „Wood or stone, gold or art?“
Wood and Art always.
Your #…?
#selftaughtartist
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