ANTONIO MAIA

On the occasion of the opening, from 6 pm to 7 pm, curator and art critic Lucas Dilacerda, who also wrote the exhibition’s critical text, will lead a “Tarot-guided visit,” a collective reading activity offering a sensitive and interpretive journey through the works.

Born in the rural area of Carmópolis, in the interior of Sergipe, Antonio Maia grew up in a context of strong popular religiosity, which would deeply mark both his personal life and artistic career. From the beginning of his trajectory, he showed interest in the symbolic elements of Northeastern Brazilian culture, particularly the votive offerings. Between 1986 and 1992, Maia dedicated himself to creating his Tarot series, one of the lesser-known bodies of his work.

His interest in the theme deepened after taking a course with tarot reader Namur Gopalla, when he realized that he had already been intuitively using many of the archetypes present in the 22 Major Arcana. Inspired by the classical interpretation of the Tarot as a spiritual journey, he began creating symbolically dense works, filled with astrological signs, references to Kabbalah, alchemy, and other elements from the esoteric world.

“We often turn to the Tarot when we’re facing a moment of crisis, doubt, or uncertainty. In this current context of so many crises, climatic, social, economic and emotional, especially after a pandemic that left consequences we still can’t fully name, modern Western science has shown itself to be insufficient. In the absence of clear answers, we often seek alternatives in ancestral, esoteric, mystical, and magical knowledge. The Tarot forces us to confront aspects of our lives that are being ignored, it calls us back to life,” comments Lucas Dilacerda.