Jonas Pequeno is an Anglo-Brazilian artist living in East London. Motivated by his desire to tell stories, he left his hometown of Arraial d’Ajuda at the age of ten for England.
Inspired by the concept of paradise and the subconscious influences of his childhood, Pequeno, who recently graduated from CSM, has spent the past few year focused on painting. His canvases are composed of a mixture of figures, animals, lines and botanic patterns that create memorable compositions. Unafraid of black paint, each work is beguiling and original.
His canvases speak of a wild imagination, an evocative mix of tenderness. You can place similar visual themes in Pequeno’s work as an artist like Danny Fox, who staged a sellout show last year at the Redfern Gallery; Jonas creates layered narratives that feel both personal and timeless. In his first solo show at 5th Base Gallery, Pequeno will display a selection of paintings and drawings as well as releasing a limited edition book.
Ahead of the exhibition we caught up with Jonas to talk about the inspiration for his show, whose utopia he looks to and how his Brazilian identity is a part of his work.
Combat is your first show and looks at the idea of ‘paradise’. Tell me a bit about the pictures you have included in this show?
I’m trying to be more present in my work, but Brazil and my experiences there have been momentous. It’s the place I am most indebted to. The work in the show is a homage to the paradise I was a part of, a paradise from the past, and it’s about being enthralled with personal current affairs.
Where does your inspiration come from? Do you work from found imagery or your imagination?
I think my brain is always stirring up images, I often find myself doing banal activities then an excellent image surfaces to the front of my mind. It sometimes takes months for a good image to arrive. I am always drawing, doodling from my imagination or life, writing, making music, listening to music, watching films, talking nonsense. Nonsense is good. Storytelling is key to me too – it’s a way of luring in, of learning a little by seeing a little. You can look at my paintings and see objects floating. I don’t compose them with a horizon, and a boat sitting on that horizon. My paintings are made up of essentials and the canvas is a plane for understanding.
Where did the title for the show come from?
Primarily, it’s the struggle of answering questions. It’s a silent struggle with myself, things that I’d rather paint than talk about. It’s getting rid of the weights so I can run faster. A cleanse! Painting is quite cleansing. It doesn’t answer many questions, but it satisfies them by giving you tougher questions, which are more intriguing.
Does your Brazilian-British identity affect your style do you think?
I identify with my Brazilian side the most, I understand Brazilians more. The greatest gift to me has been Brazil. It’s my prize possession, no opinion can taint it or diminish it. However, my artistic influences are definitely Western, there are very few Brazilian references in my work.
What is your idea of paradise?
Paradise is always in flux; it’s succinct, rich, and impossible to grasp. Paradise is when you are in ‘the zone’. I’d like to think everyone knows their paradise.
So how do you communicate paradise in your pictures?
Symbolism comes into play a lot in my work. For example, a bicycle could represent paradise. If it needs referring to in a painting, I will paint it. But it comes in all varying shapes, sometimes I paint paradise in the third person, or sometimes I am paradise. It’s always changing. Paradise has never been the sole subject of a single painting though. It’s just a reference; often to state changes. I think realising paradise is just as good as being in paradise.
Which other artist’s version of paradise do you look to or identify with?
I have never seen paradise in any painting. I think it’s all too clichéd, too much of a deity, too stagnant, too classical or romantic. I can look at a Turner or Rousseau painting, and feel as far from paradise as possibly imaginable. I think paradise is more of a feeling, rather than an image, but images are so filled with feeling that I wouldn’t be able to describe paradise. I don’t tend to paint paradise itself. To me a pattern in a fabric can be a more righteous symbol for paradise than any painting.
Tell me a bit about the book that you have produced
The book was initiated by Clem Macleod, but ultimately it is a catalogue of the work. Clem was really interested in publishing something for the exhibition. It’s been a project we have seen through together and we plan on making more.
I actually made the work smaller for this exhibition. I think it will be bigger in the future.
Combat opens at 5th Base Gallery, 23 Heneage Street on Thursday 15th December.
Credits
Text Jessica Draper