HONEY- Curated by Claudia Calirman

A conversation with Paulo Nazareth, Diane Lima, and Claudia Calirman Jeremy Travis Conference Room (R.L61) at John Jay College, followed by the opening reception of the exhibition at the Shiva Gallery from 6.30-9.00 pm.

HONEY delves into the work of Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth, suggesting that perceptions of racial identity are as fluid, viscous, multifaceted, and contextually shaped as honey. Like honey, these different understandings embody flexibility and adaptability while also carrying bittersweet connotations: the sweetness of indulgence and delight, the sting of mockery and playful sarcasm, the veneer of passive-aggressive politeness, the weight of efficiency and labor, the chaos of messiness, and even the potential for harmful reactions.

Performing at times as an Indigenous man and at others as a Black person, Nazareth navigates identity with fluidity depending on the context and circumstances. His mixed heritage— Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and European—enables him to challenge fixed notions of identity to subvert preconceived ideas of the self. Through his vast, surprising, and witty body of work, he persistently shifts his approach, experiments with diverse tactics, and adopts unconventional methods to reject exoticization, resist the constraints of narrow political identities, and defy expectations tied to his “authentic” self.

Paulo Nazareth is an old man born in Nak Borun (Vale do Rio Doce), in the state of MinasGerais, and lives as a global nomad. With his self-styled Arte de Preceito (Precept art or Art of precept), his work is often the result of precise and simple gestures, raising awareness of issues related to immigration, racialization, globalization, colonialism, and their effects on the production and consumption of art in the Global South. While his work manifests in the video, photography, and found objects; his strongest medium is the relationships he creates with the people he encounters on the road—particularly those who must remain invisible due to their legal status or those who are repressed by governmental authorities.

This exhibition is supported by Mendes Wood DM.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS:

Wednesday, March 19, 5:00–6.30 pm

A conversation with Paulo Nazareth, Diane Lima, and Claudia Calirman

Jeremy Travis Conference Room (R.L61) at John Jay College, followed by the opening

reception of the exhibition at the Shiva Gallery from 6.30-9.00 pm.

Thursday, March 20, 1:45 – 3:00 pm

Community hour in the gallery with Paulo Nazareth and poet Ricardo Aleixo.

Further public programs are to be announced.

Claudia Calirman is a Professor of Art History and Chair of the Department of Art and Music at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is the author of Dissident Practices: Brazilian Women Artists, 1960s–2020s (Duke University Press, 2023) and Brazilian Art under Dictatorship: Antonio Manuel, Artur Barrio, and Cildo Meireles (Duke University Press, 2012), which received the 2013 Arvey Foundation Book Award from the Association for Latin American Art. Calirman is the recipient of an Arts Writers Grant from Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation.

Contact:

Macushla Robinson, Director

Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

City University of New York

860 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10019

Phone: 646 923 5160

Email: [email protected]

Host or Publisher John Jay College of Criminal Justice