Francelino Mesquita is a contemporary sculptor who works with natural materials, such as: miriti (or buriti) bushing, jupati splint, mututi root and pitinga gourd, wood, metal and other materials to create pieces that challenge perceptions of form and balance, in which his works are mostly in the mobile style. His works are influenced by nature and architecture, resulting in sculptures that are both organic and structured. His proposal is to contribute to the reflection on the importance of environmental awareness of the largest tropical forest in the world and to the strengthening of the Cultural and Intangible Heritage of the State of Pará. He also seeks equity in his exhibitions with texts and labels in Braille and a translator and interpreter of Libras. He has participated in several exhibitions in his 25-year career, highlighting an award at the 26th Salão Arte Pará Exhibition in 20
How did your journey into the art world begin?
Like many self-taught artists, they demonstrate their skills in childhood, and after my first award in a school drawing competition, this encouraged me to want to practice more drawings every day and thus acquire more technical and intuitive skills in artistic practices. And my love for nature has also been with me since that time, where my parents contributed to this, in which we came and went to a forested area with a beautiful beach, the name of which is called Praia do Paraíso on the island of Mosqueiro, which is in the District of Belém/Pará. On this beach, in addition to the natural beauty, there was an old, centuries-old mansion, where slaves were housed, according to reports from my maternal great-great-grandmother who was the first inhabitant of this forested area.
What themes do you prefer to explore in your works?
Themes that bring social and environmental reflection, such as: indigenous cultures and legends, black and environmental cultures regarding environmental balance and extinctions of fauna and flora.
What are your sources of inspiration?
They come mainly from the organic forms of fauna, flora, rivers and geometric shapes of rural and urban everyday life.
What materials and techniques do you use most often?
For almost three decades I have been researching the uses of natural resources, such as: the miriti bush, the pitinga gourd, the jupati splint, the mututi root and others, in which these materials are also used in Pará handicrafts that are considered Cultural and Intangible Heritage registered by IPHAN and my techniques are in mobile-type sculptures and mostly hollow works, where the works float in space projecting shadows.
What advice would you offer to artists just starting out?
Do not give up on your artistic dream, because obstacles are there to be overcome and victories are the incentive to keep moving forward and you should also seek more theoretical and practical knowledge to stand out even more with God's blessings in your career.
What is the role of the artist in today's society?
The importance of artists in society goes far beyond entertainment. Their role is fundamental for intellectual development, opinion formation, social inclusion, education and, ultimately, it is the most incredible way to make people see the world from a different perspective.
Regardless of the type of art – be it visual art, cinema, music, theater, circus, literature, among others – the artist is always the protagonist and transmitter of something extremely transformative.
