Very happy to share one of the most recent acquisitions by MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo) for its institutional collection – the work “Principal peça do jogo” (2018), by our represented artist No Martins.
In this acrylic and 18k gold leaf on linen painting, the black woman is invoked by Martins as a central reference and source of everything.
According to curator Luciara Ribeiro*, in a critical text published on the museum’s Instagram, “this is a criticism of the society we live in, a society that normally maintains these women in the worst places. The artist proposes a twist on this. The queen, the most important piece in the game of chess, is determined and powerful, she can end the game. The resolute face of this matriarch does not seem to fear the future (…) The yellow of her shirt may be a mention of Oxum, the Yoruba deity of the rivers, wealth and feminine beauty. Oxum is also a landmark for Afro-Diasporic societies, her image is a symbol of strength, wisdom and femininity for black women.”
NO MARTINS
Principal peça do jogo, 2018
Acrylic and 18k gold leaf on linen
Donated by: Otávio e Gustavo Cutait Abdalla, 2020
* Curator, art critic and researcher, Luciara Ribeiro holds a Master Degree in Art History from Unifesp e from the Salamanca University, Spain.