Tag: Sao Paulo

Opening night of ‘SÃO PAULO’ show @ Scion…

Just got back from the opening reception of the big ‘SÃO PAULO’ show @ Scion over in Culver City. What a turn out, the place was just packed and the artists were so jazzed, and interacting with everyone and really have an awesome time. Big props to Eduardo and Baixo from Choque Cultural and the Scion crew for an amazing show. One of their best in some time for sure.

Opening night crush with Zezão & Speto‘s collaborative mural looming in the background…

The explosion of color and form that is the work of Carlos Dias…

Zezão‘s video installation… his new work was just beautiful.

Crowd shot with Carlos Dias and Calma‘s work in the background…

Calma‘s installation complete… check out some shots of it coming together in our previous post on the show coming together here.

Calma got busy in the sketchbook (above)… finished image is below…


After Calma hit up the book, it was time for Titi Freak to do his thing. His lines flow so fluidly when he draws, just awesome to watch. Finished piece is below.

Crowd shot with massive Speto wall mural in the background…

The beautiful work of newcomer Ramon Martins

“Moai” sculpture from MZK

The artists from ‘SÃO PAULO’ and the fine folks of Choque Cultural

For more shots of the show, check out the preview we posted earlier this week here.

The free show catalog given out to all that attended opening night. We’ve got a couple extra copies, the first couple folks to shoot us a mail to contact@sourharvest.com will get one.

SCION Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave in Culver City / 310.815.8840
‘SÃO PAULO’ – group show curated by Brazil’s Choque Cultural Gallery featuring works from Titi Freak, Speto, Calma, Carlos Dias, Ramon Martins, MZK, Silvana Mello, and Zezao
(On view through March 28th)
www.scion.com/space

Behind the scenes of the big SÃO PAULO group show…

Was over in Culver City today and swung through the Scion spot to get a lil’ advance look at the big SÃO PAULO exhibition that we have already previewed here a couple times. The group show has been curated by Choque Cultural Gallery out of Brazil and features fellow Brazilian artists Carlos Dias, MZK, Ramon Martins, Silvana Mello, Speto, Titi Freak and Zezão…

By far the showstopper, Titi Freak‘s huge piece (pictured above with the artist) is just beautiful and hits you the moment you walk through the door. He was still busy putting some finishing touches on the surrounding wall mural/install when we swung through (close up below)…


The gallery was abuzz with activity… power saws, hammering, painting… spray paint fumes hanging heavy in the air…

Lil’ glimpse at the progress of Zezão‘s collaborative wall mural with Speto… the two were very busy putting the finishing touchs on the mural and preparing to hang their works for the show. Zezão‘s new pieces are by far the best and most creative I’ve seen yet from him. You’ll have to wait until the opening to see ’em, but they incorporate miniature manhole covers, bits of old brick walls from model train kits… just really creative pieces.

Speto (seen above) putting the finishing touches on his big piece for the show, before getting to installing it over the mural he just completed with Zezão (see below)…

Stephan Doitschinoff, aka Calma

Calma will be signing copies of his new book, Calma: The Art of Stephan Doitschinoff as well as screening Temporal, the short documentary film about Doitschinoff’s work, prior to the opening reception this Sat, February 28th from 6-7pm… this was just announced, so be sure to get by early if you have the chance.

Calma was also hard at work finishing up his beautiful installation… all that he had to do when we left was just some hand lettering above the red banner that hangs towards the top of his install (finished pics of the install will be posted here this weekend). The laser cut shadow box center piece (similar to recent works in his Jonathan LeVine and Anno Domini Gallery solo shows) is just beautiful and really needs to be seen in person to appreciate how delicate they are and how perfectly these laser cut shadow boxes frame and compliment his work. Calma was telling me that all the banners and flags in the exhibit (as well as his recent solo shows) were all made by local artisans that come from the small town where he lives in Brazil.

Choque Cultural‘s latest find, Ramon Martins, seen above (on the left) working away on his mural, alongside artist Carlos Dias (on the right)…

Ramon Martins applying the finishing touches to his background mural… his work is really striking with a vibrant color palette that pulls you in as soon as you see the work.

Baixo and Eduardo from Choque Cultural Gallery alongside artist Carlos Dias.
Speaking of Carlos, check out a nice interview that Juxtapoz just posted with him here.
Opening Reception: Sat, Feb. 28th 7-10PM
SCION Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave in Culver City / 310.815.8840
‘Sao Paulo’ – group show curated by Brazil’s Choque Cultural Gallery featuring works from Titi Freak, Speto, Calma, Carlos Dias, Ramon Martins, MZK, Silvana Mello, and Zezao
(On view through March 28th – don’t miss this one!!!)

Titi Freak is in town…

Brazilian artist Titi Freak is in town for the big ‘SÃO PAULO’ show, curated by Choque Cultural Gallery from Brazil, that opens on this Sat, February 28 at Scion’s Installation L.A. Gallery in Culver City… we love his work, as well as many others in the show, so be sure to put this one on your calendar and plan to attend this Saturday.

Titi Freak’s blog: titifreak.blogspot.com

The São Paulo exhibition celebrates the energy of the emerging art culture in São Paulo, Brazil, the biggest metropolitan city in South America. Calma, Carlos Dias, MZK, Ramon Martins, Silvana Mello, Speto, Titi Freak and Zezão form a group that translates this energy best, bringing fine art unique influences from pop culture, ancient heritage, modern painting or folk art. Each artist uses pop contemporary references such as street art, tattoo, skateboarding, hip‐hop, and punk, while playing close attention to their own personal heritage and research.

The diversity of the featured artists in the São Paulo show promises an intriguing exhibition. Calma AKA Stephan Doitschinoff is the son of an Evangelical minister whose style combines Afro‐Brazilian folklore with Baroque religious iconography, as well as Alchemic and Pagan symbolism. Carlos Dias eschews concepts ‐ his original art is born in the streets, in his band’s concerts, in his record collection and flows into canvases painted with acrylic paint, markers, crayons, sprays or whatever comes into his hands. MZK is an urban legend and is responsible for the seminal fanzine culture in São Paulo and references everything from tiki comic strips to African masks. He is both a DJ and comic strip author. Ramon Martins finds an ease in combining diverse elements such as baroque style with street art, whether he’s using spray, acrylic painting or watercolor techniques. Silvana Mello explores the irony of advertising’s artificial happiness with everything from enamel painting on tiles to express the comfort of home, to carvings on a skateboard and woodprints to express the aggressiveness of urban life. Speto is one of Brazil’s most popular street artists. His original street art blends lines of traditional northeastern Brazilian woodcarving styles with sophisticated textures and figurative imagery. A champion yo‐yo master, Titi Freak AKA Hamilton Yokota (images above) fuses eastern and western sophisticated drawing, action painting, pop and fashion imagery, illustration, street art and comic influences. Finally, Zezão is one of the leaders of the Brazilian abstract street art movement. Famous for his activity in the city’s underground, Zezão goes into sewers and invades the rainwater channels that flow toward São Paulo’s rivers, to reveal the beauty of the city’s monstrous garbage.

To view add’l preview images of all in the show, check here.

Opening Reception: Sat, February 28, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Scion Installation L.A. Gallery (3521 Helms Ave. in Culver City)