Celeida Tostes's Clay Journey Explored in São Paulo Solo Show

A significant body of work by Celeida Tostes (1929-1995) is presented for the first time in São Paulo at Galeria Superfície. The exhibition 'Vênus Ancestral' features clay as its central material, used both in the artworks and the exhibition design, coating walls and display bases. Curator Pollyana Quintella notes clay's 30,000-year history as a primal substance linked to fertility and creation across cultures including Ancient Greece, Yoruba, and Christian traditions. The show is organized thematically around life cycles, featuring works like 'Passagem', where the artist enclosed herself in a clay pot representing a womb. Other series include 'Ovos', 'João de Barro', and 'Fendas'. Upstairs, pieces from 'Vênus' and 'Guardiões' represent feminine and masculine principles, while 'Amassadinhos' reference Tostes's collaborative 'emancipatory pedagogy'. A key 1983 project involved prisoners building a raw clay wall for the Bienal de São Paulo, a concept initially rejected. Later, in 1991, marginalized groups including inmates from Complexo Frei Caneca created 20,000 'Amassadinhos' for the work 'Gesto arcaico' at the Bienal. The exhibition also displays journalistic writings about the artist and concludes with funerary urns. Galerist and researcher Gustavo Nóbrega oversaw the installation, aligning it with Tostes's preferred presentation style. Photographer Henri Stahl, who documented 'Passagem', contributes an emotional text.