JAIDER ESBELL

Jaider Esbell was a key figure in a dramatic shift in the Brazilian landscape of contemporary art in recent years. This movement saw artistic creation by Indigenous peoples, Afro-Brazilian communities, and other traditional populations—equally central to the country’s formation, yet historically sidelined—shift from being mere subjects of the establishment’s representations to taking centre stage in exhibitions and biennials across the country.

An activist and educator among the Macuxi People, who inhabit the Amazon region bordering Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela, Esbell viewed visual arts as a tool to express the urgency of a narrative of resistance through exhibitions, institutional collaborations, and talks. He established in Boa Vista, Roraima, an artistic and intellectual laboratory that brought together Native Peoples, paving the way for an entire generation of Indigenous artists.

The works on display at Gladstone prominently feature Jaider Esbell’s distinct visual signature. Using paints ranging from acrylic to Posca, and ballpoint pen on canvas and paper, the deep black backgrounds of his pieces are filled with intricate lines, dots, and vibrant patterns. At first glance, these may appear as cosmic imagery to those unfamiliar with Macuxi cosmology but gradually reveal recognizable animals or enigmatic creatures. These works are often inhabited by kanaimé, powerful spirits that can act as allies or adversaries in the battles of the Macuxi.

Other works visually translate complex myths about deities and the origins of the universe or tell stories of traditional knowledge. Esbell’s artistic foundation is deeply rooted in Macuxi cosmology, which for him meant creating from an invisible dimension and from elements of “life” that do not exist in the material world. He championed a perspective that transcends Western art history’s classifications and objects. A prime example is his advocacy for Mount Roraima as an Indigenous work of art, created by Makunaimî—demiurge and ancestor of all Macuxi—when he cut down the Wazak’á tree, scattering its fruits and vegetation to form the forest.

The relationship between humans, non-human animals, and other forest beings is central and urgent to Esbell’s work and the political scope of his practice. As he shared his worldview with broader audiences, he fought for the recognition and defence of Indigenous peoples’ rights and territories, threatened by the expansion of mining in the forest—practicing what he named “artivism.”

The critical artistic and epistemological changes propelled by Jaider Esbell have proven to find echoes worldwide, and his legacy has been celebrated in exhibitions such as The Milk of Dreams at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022); Mondo Reale at Triennale di Milano, Italy, (2022); Living Worlds and_Le Serpent Cosmique_, organised by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Lille, France, (2022); as well as the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2021).

—Cristiano Raimondi