Jota’s work narrates the daily realities of living in the favelas, based on his personal experience living in the Complexo do Chapadão, near Rio de Janeiro. His practice is fed by the social contrasts in Brazil’s society, suspended between legality and illegality, beauty and chaos. His paintings display his local community and surroundings: moments of leisure with family and friends, but also the typical cultural elements of the Rio de Janeiro favelas, such as the Brazilian music genre of ‘Funk carioca’ and the bailes, parties held inside the favelas.
Through his artistic process, Jota directs a blunt social critique at the viewers, tackling themes familiar to young people living in the slums: structural racism, social inequalities, violence, prejudice, dreams and achievements.
Background
Jota (2000) is an artist living and working in Complexo do Chapadão, a favela in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. He is a self-taught artist who has gained recognition through social media. In 2021 he held his first solo exhibition, ‘Eu vim de lá’ (‘I came from here’), in Rio de Janeiro. His work has been exhibited at ArtRio, Cidade das Artes, Rio de Janeiro, and at the Museu da História e Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB), Rio de Janeiro. Jota is one of the recipients of the Prince Claus Seed Award 2021.
Inspired Flight
Mago’s work was featured in Inspired Flight, a specially curated exhibition at Unfair22, showcasing the work of five emerging contemporary artists who won the Prince Claus Fund’s 2021 Seed Awards. The exhibition made possible in partnership with Prince Claus Fund and in collaboration with The Quick + The Brave, providing a platform for the stories of Seed Awardees around the world to be heard. The Quick + The Brave initiated an eponymous content series documenting in real time how Seed Awardees are investing in their creative practice in this period of global change and learning about the community impact of their work.
JOTA – Baile do Egito edição especial (2021)
JOTA – Abençoado (Blessed) (2021)
Available works by JOTA
Subindo os degrau da hierarquia (Climbing up the ranks) (2021)
Abençoado (Blessed) (2021)
Abençoado (Blessed) (2021)
Baile do Egito edição especial (2021)