Henrique Oliveira

Henrique Oliveira is an artist from Brazil. He is a very self-directed artist, following whatever medium presents itself, and inspired by the environment and the artists around him. The piece I was most interested in was Bololô. This is a massive wood installation, made especially for the African Art Museum. And as they describe it; "a tangle of roots which seem to both invade and support the walls of this gallery. Like the spinal cords that inspired Sandile Zulu, Oliveira's roots let us reimagine the organic structures that support the world around us."

I love the idea of interconnectedness that Oliveira plays on, especially with the iconic use of wood to symbolize a tree and roots. This brown mass with burn marks and staples is in stark contrast to the white and sterile gallery walls that surround it. The tree is a wake-up call, it invades the perfect world and literally reminds us of our roots, even if we want to forget or ignore the simple fact that we are all connected somehow.