Henrique Oliveira , Desnatureza 5

Henrique Oliveira
Desnatureza 5, 2022
Plywood, resin, metal and a mixture of waterproof PVA and medium
210 x 700 x 480 cm
Courtesy Galerie GP & N Vallois (Paris)

This monumental 7-meter-long installation is made of inlaid wood from recycled pallets. It creates the illusion of tree roots emerging from the ground to meet at a central node. Evoking both the massive trees of Brazil and the organic forms of a reptilian animal, Desnatureza 5 combines natural and unnatural aspects to unsettle the viewer. Henrique Oliveira uses materials taken from the Brazilian urban landscape, in particular wood from tapumes. This wood is used to build fences preventing access to construction sites in São Paulo. Henrique Oliveira uses it for political and environmental purposes. For him, tree trunks and, more broadly, nature, are reclaiming their rights against the urban sprawl of his native city. The intertwining of trunks bears witness to the passage of organic elements through human hands. The knot motif imposes and seals the presence of nature here.

Born in 1973 in São Paulo, Brazil. Lives and works between São Paulo and London, UK. Tree trunks are a recurring motif in Henrique Oliveira's work. Through these large-scale installations, Henrique Oliveira highlights the endemic and parasitic nature of urban expansion. His works are intrinsically linked to São Paulo, the artist's hometown and raw material.