“O gesto radical na obra de Rafael Sliks”

By Bruno Pastore in portuguese, philosopher. Translated by Shub Dhir.

Rafael Sliks was born in São Paulo (1981) where he developed a fascination with Brazil’s “Pixação” wall writing movement, often described as an angrier and emotionally raw version of graffiti. Pixação was the primary influence for Rafael Sliks’s early work, which has evolved into the more complex visual and conceptual forms that his works now represent. The theme of his artwork is to deconstruct the emotional core of Pixação to explore core human and spiritual ideas of beauty,space, time, and alternate realities. Simultaneously, at the macro level, his work challenges the concept of illegality of street art and those who think it is not legitimate.

Given the shifting legality of Pixação in Sao Paulo and across the world, Rafael does not reveal his identity and works in total anonymity. “Sliks” is a simple yet powerfull play on the of the word skills, a reference to his dexterous and novel Pixação approach that is his medium of artistic and emotional expression. Pixação is among the most accessible and inclusive forms of artistic expression

– Rafael Sliks elevates it into fine art, while preserving its emotional rawness.