This series of square works, arose from the inspiration that Rómulo Santa Rita found in the artwork of Manuel Cargaleiro. The artist was influenced by the characteristic repetition of the tiles, the mosaic aesthetic and the visual force created by continuous patterns.
The pieces, composed of spray and acrylic on burlap sacks, carry a powerful message. Burlap, a material used to transport cocoa and other natural resources, serves as a symbolic support for this series, reinforcing the reflection on the exploitation of African raw materials. In addition, the works incorporate representations of widely recognised chocolate brands, reminding us that the cocoa industry, despite feeding a global luxury market, is still based on the exploitation of workers, often in conditions of semi-slavery, including children.
The piece that inspired this series is the tile panel of the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, whose rhythmic and patterned composition led the artist to explore the same logic of repetition. Here, however, the pattern is not just aesthetic, but a blunt visual commentary on the historical repetition of inequality and economic exploitation .
These pieces are part of the ‘Black Lies Matter’ exhibition
Originally created: 2024
Subject: Social, Political
Materials: Burlap sacks
Medium: Spray and Acrylic
Styles: Documentary, Conceptual, Realism, Portraiture, Pop Art