José Bezerra

Brazilian outsider artist José Bezerra was a farm worker, a jockey at improvised horse races, a manual worker, and a carreiro (cart driver) before turning his life towards art. Inspired to create because of a dream, Bezerra began to envision figures out of the wood that surrounded him, and eventually intervened with a hunting knife, a rasp, a chisel and a wood saw, creating faces, animals and forms from twisted logs. Animals are a consistent part of the artist’s oeuvre—domestic pets and native animals, all of which have a personal connection to Bezerra— including dogs, armadillos, herons, sloths and anteaters. He intentionally steers clear of imposing animals or those charged with symbolism, such as tigers, eagles or snakes, preferring to explore simple themes that lead to unexpected images and ideas. Bezerra says of his process, “it [wood] takes a lesson from us, and we also take a lesson from wood.” This way of thinking gives his sculptures an uncommon intensity. Bezerra has shown in a number of exhibitions including at the Culture Center Matarazzo, São Paulo, Janete Costa Museum, Niterói and Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, among others. 

Courtesy of Galeria Estação