In a sequence of uncanny compositions painted in gradient layers of blue glazes and gray monochromes, the artist freely distributes clues about their stories through fragmented narratives and glimpses of ordinary representations: a dentition, the reflection of a window, a watery windshield at night, or a synapse. […] The choice of painting in the “blue spectrum” comes from Preto’s association of blue with interior spaces within the body, particularly within his own mind. Blue can be soothing and calm, and while it is also associated with melancholy and grief, it provides a comforting place to linger, unlike the shorter attention span associated with more feral colors such as yellows or reds.

[…] The three glass-powder-covered paintings titled Os Três Ws reference three Ws: "Where," "When," and “Who,” although Preto intentionally leaves the viewers to interpret these concepts in their way and assign the Ws accordingly. These pieces, made from drawings, allude to the remarkable capability of our minds to construct mental refuges, akin to traversing and opening up multiple physical spaces. It refers to the creation of entire mind-worlds, whose contents depend on where our attention flows. This phenomenon is particularly poignant in situations of physical confinement, such as during periods of hospitalization. These works also consider how our perception of time varies when confronted with our own mortality, perhaps even more when nearing the end.

photography and text: courtesy of the artist and Madragoa. Text written by Cristina Sanchez-Kozyreva for Preto’s show A Cadência de uma Chama; Photography: Bruno Lopes