“Barbalho studied philosophy and started his career as a writer, having published short stories, novels and poetry, and founded the independent press Edições Vira-lata. After experiencing what he describes as ‘a crisis in relation to the limitations of written language’, the artist embraced pictorial language as his preferred means of expression. Working primarily with drawing, Barbalho produces extremely intricate yet unplanned compositions in which a multitude of images, symbols and colour fields merge into each other to create seamless vibrating surfaces. The artist is drawn to the immediacy of the medium both in material terms (as an art form that requires only pen and paper) and as a non-hierarchical and non-regulated space that allows him to articulate disparate references from history, high and low culture, philosophy and daily life in a sort of ‘exploded literature’ that emerges from fragmented narratives.”
by Kiki Mazzucchelli.
Education
2008 -2010
Studied Law at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
2005-2007
MA in History of Metaphysics at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
2005
Graduated in Philosophy at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Solo exhibitions
2019
– “Correspondência”, Galeria Marilia Razuk, São Paulo, SP
2018
– “Thiago Barbalho”, Kupfer Project Space, London, UK
Group exhibitions
2019
– “Rocambole” (Roly-Poly), Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon, Portugal
2018
– “AVAF – Aquele Vestígio Assim… Feérico”, Casa Triangulo, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Rocambole”, Pivô, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Hecatombe”, Galeria Sankovsky, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Shadows & Monsters”, London, UK
2017
– “Voyage”, Bergamin & Gomide, São Paulo, Brazil
Books and zines
2017
– “Um homem bom” (“A good man”, short stories, Editora Iluminuras, São Paulo, Brazil)
2015
– “Clichês” (text and colaborative visual work, Edições Vira-lata, São Paulo, Brazil)
2014
– “Pré-História” (poetry and drawings, in partneship with artist Liana das Neves, Edições Vira-Lata, São Paulo, Brazil)
2013
– “Doritos” (poetry, Edições Vira-lata, São Paulo, Brazil)
2012
– “Thiago Barbalho vai para o fundo do poço” (‘Thiago Barbalho hits rock bottom”, novel, Edith, São Paulo, Brazil)
Workshops e residencies
2018
– “Drawing in flux”, workshop offered in partnership with artist Flora Rebollo, Instituto Tomie Ohtake.
2017
– Residency at Pivô Arte e Pesquisa, March – October, São Paulo, Brazil
Performances
2013
– Performance selling zines. International Press Art Fair Tijuana, Casa do Povo, São Paulo.
2016
– Performance with poetry and videos. Occupation poetry, Casa Plana, São Paulo.
