Adriana Varejao. Brazilian, b. 1964, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She’s practice centers on the use of ceramic tiles, both depicted in paint and as literal components of the work. This geometric tile patterning is juxtaposed with a flesh-like interior in the sculptural “Jerked-beef ruin” series (2000-04), in which the tile is ruptured to expose bloody viscera beneath. Varejão has cited a range of inspirations including Baroqueart, architectural ruins, nature, science, theater, and colonial history, alluding to her native Brazil’s colonization by featuring the blue and white azulejos tiles brought by the Portuguese colonists. With meticulous attention to craft, Varejão’s practice stages the convergence of binaries, between geometric and organic, mesmerizing and repulsive.
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