EtnoGráficos

Photos: Luiz Braga
Models: Dawana & Lívia Soares

Ethnic Art is one of my greater passions. The capacity that the traditional people must transform in objects they whose da art all this uses in its day-by-day, da weapons with domestic ustensils, fascinates me. Perhaps thus l' utilitarian art is my favorite method. I kept in the memory an image that j' saw at 10 years d' age, in review 70 (Brazilian publication specialized in art, mode and behavior), of two Indians Xikrin Kayapó by interlacing their painted bodies. This matter was republished by the Mag! magazine nº 4, when I remained by knowing that the images healthy of the photographer Cláudia Andujar " Switzerland of birth and Brazilian by choix" ; Ja have certainty which these images always guided mien to look at, even inconscientement. Then, in 1986, when I arrived in Gorotire, Kayapó village of the south of Pará, for one season of 1 year of field investigation*, I had an absurd visual impact when j' saw the naked children, entirely painted and with the weighings will "bandoleiras" (thorax adornment)  of small blue pearls intense and red overseas primary. During the 9 years that j' passed while gathering data d' etnobiologia in field, I made a parallel research on body painting, graphics and the ornamentations of Kayapó. I made and make still a comparative study with other ethnos groups and of the traditional people not only Amazonian and Brazilian, but also aborígenes, Africans, the Red People (Indian American and Mexicans), the eskimos, and prehistoric
Of this inspiration it is whose work painting appeared on silk and tulle stretch that I show in these photographs. They are body paintings Kayapó, Assurini graphics, body painting and Mehináko drawings and body painting Kadiwéu. To reproduce body paintings in tulle stretch combinations, I spent a few years by seeking several inks until finding one which had ideal elasticity to give the effect of painting on the skin. The Indians Kayapó, Assurini and Kadiwéu use to it red feita with jenipapo and coal on the skin of the body and the urucu for the face. Kayapó paint urucu the feet and the hands too. Mehináko uttilizam coal in all the body and, superficially, trace graphics with tabatinga (white clay) and of the urucu. All the times where I on occasion to show this work for Kayapó, they showed a joy génuine to see their made graphic identity the portrait with authenticity and respect. Each nation has their badges of identification like body painting, the haircut, ornamentations and cocares. I make question of revealing my source of inspiration and combat the existing tendency between in the majority of Brazilian referring to the various nations and the indigenous ethnos groups of generic form: " índios". I will be always deeply grateful in Kayapó Gorotire by which they taught me and da my to have accomodated like one of theirs; and especially grateful with my Kayapó father the xamã Bepto Poop, which recognized me at once that saw and m' it gave the beautiful name of Irê-Á, of which I have much pride.
* Kayapó Project: Created and co-ordinated for American anthropologist Darrell Posey of seventies to nineties, the Kayapó Project congregated in research to interdisciplinar, scientists who had studied the relation of the Kayapó people with the environment, in the areas of etnopharmacology and medicine, agriculture, handling of hunting and feeding, etnobotanical astronomy and etno. - I worked in the Kayapó Project as agent of field in the Village Kayapó Gorotire south of Pará, since 1986 up to 1995.