“Saudade” is a Portuguese word with no direct translation in other languages. Originating from African slaves, especially from Angola, it describes a deep emotional state of longing for something absent, a vague memory of an unexperienced past, or an idealized golden age, much like a dream.In late 2016, the resurgence of white male supremacy and nationalistic sentiments, highlighted by Trump’s election, sparked reflections on the lingering spirit of colonization and cultural denial. This context invites contemplation on the faces in these paintings, inspired by African masks and painted in a flat, minimalist style to emphasize their expressive beauty.

The raw minimalistic style captures the essence of expression, contrasting with volumetric treatments that honor nature and the intelligence of its past. This narrative transcends sexual conditioning and historicism’s lies, presenting a timeless, cyclical story rooted perhaps in matriarchy—a free history.

The paintings intertwine different eras, rewriting a free history unbound by conditioning or historicism. They reflect a cyclical, eternal time and the idealization of a lost paradise.