itk_Gallery visit: Alberto Pitta and grupo Mahku by Carmo Johnson
lntheKnow and Galeria Carmo Johnson Projects invite you to an exclusive guided tour of two very special exhibits: YUXIN MESHTIKA, which presents works by the MAHKU group – who painted the Venice Biennale’s entrance – and also by the artists Kássia Borges, Kaya Agari, Naine Terena, and Tamikuã Txihi at Galeria Carmo Johnson Projects; as well as “Diante do Outro” by Bahian artist Alberto Pitta at Casa de Cultura do Parque.
MAHKU (Acre – Amazon – Brazil) paints Chants and Miths related to their Huni Kuin ancestry. They translate and transform the Huni Meka Chants, the ceremony in which ayahuasca medicine is consecrated, into images. These songs, in turn, are paths that place participants in ayahuasca rituais in relation to otherness. The MAHKU therefore paints a relationship of technology, paintings that are bridges towards the non-indigenous world.
Alberto Pitta is a visual artist, carnival artist, designer and serigrapher. He has been developing research and artistic creations for 40 years and is one of the pioneers in creating what are now known as AfroBahian prints, using symbols, toais, clothing and props of the orixás as a source of inspiration. His experience in candomblé terreiros favors and stimulates artistic creation, making it possible to extract what is essent ial for interpreting codes and symbols. He stands out in Bahia’s artistic and cultural scene, especially when it comes to the carnival of t he Afro, Afoxé and lndian blocks in Salvador. Over the last 23 years, Alberto Pitta has also dedicated himself to t he production and artistic conception of Cortejo Afro, a bloco that has been known for rescuing aesthetic values in Salvador’s carnival, with prints, costumes, props and allegories, bringing art back to the city’s avenues.
