In Rio de Janeiro, indigenous artist exhibits art and tells story of forced displacement and rescue of identity

Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – It is on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM Rio), in Rio de Janeiro, the work “Here we are” (‘Aqui Estamos’ in portuguese), by indigenous visual artist Uýra Sodoma, which focuses on the stories of indigenous diasporas in Brazil as a way to resume and rescue the identity of the original peoples forced to move from their territories. The works are on show until April 2023.

Uýra is the drag queen alter-ego of biologist and art educator Emerson Munduruku. In the exhibition, she brings together multiple experiences of indigenous people in diaspora – according to the Michaelis dictionary, it means the dispersion of peoples, for political or religious reasons – told through sounds, images and narratives.

“The exhibition is an invitation so that in this time of now, we can see with frankness and dignity the true stories that make up Brazil, especially the indigenous peoples who have been in this territory since before the invention”, explains the artist.

She also recalls that European colonisation in the country forced indigenous people to move out of their villages, taking them to large urban centres and promoting a historical erasure of native peoples.

“‘Here we are’ addresses the history of indigenous diasporas, a racial, geopolitical, historical and contemporary issue that is so important, but still very little addressed in Brazil. Diasporas, those indigenous movements forced by European invasions in this territory, continued and updated by their descendants within the places of power, which move indigenous people away from collective nuclei, from villages, throwing them generally to the cities and many other diverse and unknown regions”, he also said.

Artist

Emerson Munduruku, 30, is indigenous and has a Master’s degree in Ecology. He works as a visual artist, art educator and researcher. Born in Santarém (PA), he lives in Manaus (AM), where he transforms himself to live Uýra, a Tree that Walks.

They has already integrated the Salão Arte Pará (2019), the exhibition for the EDP das Artes Award, Tomie Ohtake (2020), the 34th Bienal de São Paulo (2021), and exhibitions in institutions in Austria, Italy, San Francisco, Holland, France.