MASP

In a context in which mestiçagem— a Portuguese language term for “miscegenation,” currently under reconsideration due to its racist etymology— was selected as a symbol of national identity, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti contributed to the construction of an imaginary of black Brazilian women. But though they (entered the public eye) through his work, the women Di Cavalcanti portrayed were often sexualized. Mulata/Mujer [Mulata/ Woman] (1952) is a unique painting that stands apart from most of the artist’s work on the same theme. Here a black woman displays an assertive gaze and a firm posture; she stares at the viewer with confidence and pride. Part of her body and skin is showing; we see her arms, hands, neck and face, but not her bosom. She is wearing a white skirt and a sleeveless blouse featuring delicate floral motifs over a colorful background, composing a painting within a painting, typical of the painter’s late period in the 1950s. Despite the painting’s exceptionality among his portraits of black women, Di Cavalcanti did not name the woman portrayed. We do not know who she is, reinforcing her silencing and objectification. Note that the work was also known by the title Mulata.

— Guilherme Giufrida, assistant curator, MASP, 2018

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