Victor Arruda, who has been challenging conservatism for 50 years, exhibits a selection of works at Almeida & Dale

Opening this Saturday, the exhibition “Examining Myself and Others: Victor Arruda and Carroll Dunham,” curated by Dan Nadel, is a duet of paintings and drawings by Victor Arruda and Carroll Dunham, whose artistic development began in the 1970s in different cities – Rio de Janeiro and New York. 

Victor Arruda says that a critical moment in his career came in his twenties, when he decided to face the Brazilian societal finger pointed at him for being a gay man. Questioning the conservative attitudes that made class and racial prejudices “normal” led him to search for a visual language capable of communicating his position. The confrontation that Arruda proposes is transposed to paintings and drawings that compose a visual language inspired by a wide range of artistic productions, but especially by figures such as graphic artist Robert Crumb, of whom Arruda claims to be a disciple.  

As well as taking part in various exhibitions at institutions such as EAV Parque Lage, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro - MAM Rio, and Paço Imperial, in Rio de Janeiro, Arruda's work is part of collections such as MAM Rio, Rio de Janeiro; Fundação Serralves, Porto, Portugal; among others. 

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“Examining Myself and Others: Victor Arruda and Carroll Dunham” 
Curated by: Dan Nadel 
Opening: July 13, from 11am to 4pm 
Almeida & Dale 
Rua Caconde, 152 - Jd. Paulista, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
Content Rating: PG-18