Identity Loss

StolenSpace are pleased to welcome Brazilian artist, Finok, to our space for his solo exhibition ‘Identity Loss’, an artistic dialogue and discussion about loss of identity. Finok (Raphael Sagarra) addresses the idea of lost identity through his frequent depiction of faded or obstructed faces in his work. The fading image reveals and questions the loss of individuality and cultures in contemporary society. Finok addresses the temporality of identity on the very surface it inhabits. Each erased painting on a wall is like an erased story from the page of a book. This is further explored in Finok’s representation of tiles in his work. How a tile can be superimposed on a wall, which then superimposes it’s history on top of an older one. The face also symbolizes the figure of an Ex-voto, which is an object often made of wood, wax, painting, or an image donated by religious followers as thanks for achieved grace. Within his work, Finok questions this concept as something which has been forgotten or erased, and in doing so, he presents a new meaning to the concept of viewing Ex-votos.

Finok’s works are also inspired by the geometric patterns and strong contrasting colours of Senhor do Bonfim ribbons, a typical amulet from the city of Salvador, Bahia. It is common to find them tied around the wrist, the ankle, or even tied to church gates. Tradition says that the use of these ribbons comes from the ancient custom of using strips of clothing from saints for luck or protection. However, as time went by, the clothing of saints became increasingly difficult to find and, therefore, they were gradually replaced by coloured ribbons. Nowadays, the use of these ribbons has been mis-characterised and lost, being used as decoration, and even advertisement. ‘Identity Loss’ presents works that discuss the relationship of the current world, questioning the identity in different cultures, and how this is inserted and mixed in our lives. Finok uses his own identity and roots in Brazil to examine this, visually exploring many traditions. Including the relationship between carnival in Brazil and it’s identity that was forgotten, and then re-interpreted for the contemporary globalised world.