Fri, 14 April 2023 14:15

Translation from Portuguese:

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Unifor hosts the exhibition “Naza na Natureza”

The exhibition can be seen through virtual reality glasses and, in person, in trees on the University campus

Part of the artist's works are themed on endangered animals, to draw people's attention to the need to preserve the environment (Photo: Disclosure)

The University of Fortaleza, a teaching institution of the Edson Queiroz Foundation , will host, as of June 5, 2023 (Monday), the exhibition “Naza na Natureza” , by the artist from Piauí based in the United States, Naza Mcfarren . The exhibition can be appreciated in two ways: physically through artistic intervention on the Unifor campus with the envelopment of trees with works by the artist, especially around the Rectory, and with virtual reality glasses at the Unifor Cultural Space . The exhibition is part of the special commemorative program for the institution's 50th anniversary, celebrated on March 21st.

Regarding her creations, Naza claims that she can paint on any subject, as long as she has the freedom to follow her emotions. Among the themes present in her collection is nature, its fauna and flora. “For me, being an artist means being free to let emotions flow about a certain model/subject. Part of my artistic production is about endangered animals. I do this to draw people's attention to the need to preserve the environment. It is for this same reason that I decided to do the in-person exhibition on the trees”, explains the painter.

In the exhibition on the University campus, Naza will “dress” the trunks of 20 trees with fabric art created especially for them. A painting greets the visitor at eye level, and extensions of it continue above (up to 5 meters high), below and to the sides. Each pack starts with a high-resolution photo of a painting or digital artwork. The fabric is elastic, highly breathable and will not harm the tree during the months of installation. “I needed someone in the right place to believe that”, comments the artist.

The second part of the project involves a computerized version of the exhibition in 3D, to be visited by people from all over the world. The idea is being developed by the Vortex laboratory, which is maintained by Unifor's Directorate of Technology (DTec) , which is also investing in 3D glasses for local visitors. While one viewer experiences the view through glasses, others in the room will be able to immerse themselves in a 2D version on a big screen. This exhibition's groundbreaking and pioneering initiative will make it possible for any Unifor art exhibition to be transformed into 3D for people around the world to view online.

Techniques

In her works, the artist opposes abstraction and realism to convey how opposing points of view interact. In the creations where she uses oil on canvas, Naza starts with a completely abstract approach, then works to make certain elements resemble recognizable objects, events or living beings, or starts in the opposite direction: she quickly creates a very realistic image and, before it dries, she abstracts it. 

“The idea is to paint not only a certain subject, but also my own perception of what is happening with it, how it influences its environment and how it influences it. Thus, each work of art is like an event. There are no extra layers and the texture is sub-par. The only tools used in the painting process are brushes and a piece of cloth to clean certain areas. The only materials are oil paint and thinners. Most of the apparent texture of the final work is an illusion obtained with the use of light and dark”, details the painter.

Naza Mcfarren (Photo: Disclosure)

In her digital art pieces, Naza uses virtual brushes. For each detail, choose the size and shape of the brush; how wet or dry she wants the stroke to be; how much pressure she wants to use; how transparent; how soft, among other attributes. It does not make use of any automatic tools such as filters, brightness or shadows. From time to time, she adds an illusion of texture which she then distorts and/or enlarges, whichever she chooses to do at the time.
 
“Whether I'm painting in oils or using the computer, my style is the same. I still oppose abstraction and realism as the coexistence of opposing points of view; I keep putting the main subject inside and blending with the background, instead of in front of it; ultimately, it is the emotions that guide me in the process of making art”, underlines Naza.

Unique trajectory of an artist

The trajectory of this Brazilian-American painter is truly unique. As a child, she drew with charcoal on the sidewalks of her hometown, Santa Cruz do Piauí. She studied in various parts of Brazil and, at the age of 21, began her artistic career in Brasilia.

From Brasília he went to Campo Grande (MS), then to Fortaleza and Recife, always painting and exhibiting his work, including at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). In 1985 he moved to the United States. Among the places where she has lived is Panama, where she was commissioned to paint the Noriega family amid the pre-war turmoil of the late 1980s.

Still in the 1980s, she lived in the Washington, DC area, where Naza began to develop her particular style entitled “abstracted realism”, a technique for which she is known. A change in her private life meant that she spent three years in North Carolina, from where she moved to Florida in 1993. In Boca Raton, she opened a studio/gallery and became known for her involvement with social and environmental causes, both in Palm Beach County and throughout South Florida.

Flower of Piauí, oil on canvas

Among other prizes, the artist won the Woman of the Year award (Boca Raton), Croix D'Argent award (Le Mérite Dévouement Français) in Paris (France), Renascença Commendation (from the Government of Piauí), key to the city of Boca Raton and other honors. The painter was chosen to paint the painting that President Barack Obama presented to President Dilma Rousseff.

His art has been published in several books, magazines and newspapers in several languages, including textbooks used in schools in the United States. Among its collectors are Neyde and Viviane Senna, Roberto Carlos, President Bill Clinton, Ivana Trump, Brigitte Bardot, Maurício de Sousa, former Chancellor Airton Queiroz and other personalities.

uniform 50 years

The University of Fortaleza, of the Edson Queiroz Foundation, turned 50 on March 21 of this year. In this half century of existence, the institution has trained more than 110,000 professionals of excellence in all areas of knowledge, contributing not only to the technical training, but also to the human training of these individuals. 

Throughout this period, the University has accumulated several successful experiences in teaching, research and extension, with credibility and national and international recognition; Unifor is currently the best private higher education institution in the North and Northeast regions, according to the British Times Higher Education (THE) ranking. 

+ Check here the entire program for Unifor's 50th anniversary

Service

Exhibition “Naza na Natureza”
Location: Espaço Cultural Unifor (Av. Washington Soares, 1321 – Unifor Campus) and trees around the Rectory of Unifor
Opening: June 5, 2023, at 10 am
Location: Espaço Cultural Unifor, Núcleo Diálogo. Then, guided tour with the artist
Free visit: 

• Unifor Cultural Space - Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 7 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 12 pm to 6 pm
• Tree exhibition - Monday to Friday, from 6am to 11pm, and Saturdays, from 6am to 6pm

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