Pelourinho One by Luide Araújo – October Gallery

Price:  $185    NOW $125
Pelourinho One
by Luide Araújo
Original Acrylic on Canvas Framed
Size 8″ x 8″

Luide Araújo was born and raised in the neighborhood of Candeal, Salvador. At the age of 20 he managed to secure work in a gallery owned by the family of the renowned artist, Carybé, where he became a devoted student. Luide has painted over 200 works and participated in seven exhibitions in areas as diverse as Bogotá, Columbia, and the ‘Museu do Ritmo’ and Grande Hotel da Barra in Salvador.

In continuing the exploration of his artistic talents Luide has developed a unique style blending personal life experiences with his vision of the environment in which he lives. His initial works clearly show the influence of his mentor, Carybé, especially in relation to their themes and the naive style. Luide’s bairro, Candeal, features regularly in his paintings where its most famous resident, the musician Carlinhos Brown, often makes a cameo appearance.

More recently Luide has been delving into his relationship with the afro-brazilian religion, Candomblé, producing works in the Yorubá tradition, reflecting the diverse personalities of the Orixás (Candomblé divinities) as well as the spirituality they bring to our daily lives. The motive for creating such art stems partly from reverence but also, for Luide, a personal exploration where the paintings serve to educate and indeed share something that Candomble gives to all of us – a sense of unity with mother nature. The message is that we need to be respectful, but at the same time we should enjoy the marvels omnipresent in the natural world.

In spite of the strong decorative quality of Luide’s work he manages to avoid the superficiality that often accompanies the decorative. His art is distinctive and shuns complexity, yet it remains profound in its simplicity, seducing us and inviting us to open up our imagination. Luide is at pains to point out that producing this work is not an easy process – it involves creating and recreating, pursuing the essence of the image he is attempting to convey.