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Since 1993, the Portuguese artist Gonçalo Pena has created a vast collection of drawings, with a mesh of cross-references and assumptions that all revolve around the human figure. Within this immense collection, religion, history, and ancient mythology mingle with political philosophy and social issues, creating a veritable cultural conundrum of references hidden behind each image. The illustrations in the book appear in a seemingly logical order, which contrasts sharply with the immense variety of techniques, themes and subjects.
Published on the occasion of Pena’s eponymous exhibition at the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, this book gathers a collection of drawings selected by João Maria Gusmão and contains essays and fictions by Gabriel Abrantes, Alexandre Estrela, João Maria Gusmão, Pedro Paiva, as well as an introduction by Serralves’ director, Philippe Vergne.