The Karla Osorio Gallery presents the exhibition “Love Without Belonging,” a solo show by the artist AZUHLI. The opening will take place on June 24th and the exhibition will be on display until August 20th, 2023.
About the exhibition
This is the first solo show by the artist from Ceará, Azuhli, and it brings together 15 recent artworks, the majority of which have never been shown before. It is a powerful collection of paintings in various formats.
As critic Lana Carrah Karla said, “Azuhli’s poetics revolve around love for the other and their memories, portraying people and their ways of life… Some of the memories depicted are older, stemming from the artist’s research, while others portray more current scenes from her daily life. They connect because the present needed the past to (re)exist. Researching and portraying these stories in art is a way to record and thank the people whose identities and ways of loving were invisible for a long time.
Gender and sexuality issues cannot be forgotten as political and social markers, and the artist portrays narratives of resistance from those who have remained believing in themselves and in love, even in times and cultures marked by intolerance…
Azuhli creates a safe and at times energetic atmosphere for her subjects, and the vibrant colors that evoke a dreamlike universe intensify this perception. When looking at the artist’s paintings, the body doesn’t stiffen; on the contrary, it evokes a feeling of lightness, as if we, as spectators, could finally affirm to ourselves and to the people portrayed: ‘being in this body and in this place is safe, everything is at peace!’ Memories that were often literally shelved can now be revered, at least in this space and in this moment.”
About the artist
For Azuhli, love is the most important thing.
Born and raised in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, the visual artist Azuhli was born to do what she does: imprint with paint the noblest human feeling, love. Breaking through time, bringing memories to the surface, recreating stories, and imagining futures.
A genuine artist, she reveals herself fully in her works and also reveals the people who mark her path. It is her motivation, her interest in others. Her language has become unique and unmistakable; being in the presence of an Azuhli artwork is to enter a universe where the exchange of affection is possible and real.
During her residency in Mexico, she came across stories of impossible loves between LGBT+ men and women. This deeply touched her, and she felt the need to make those hidden stories public. This feeling resulted in the exhibition “Love is the Most Important Thing,” which was a success both with the public and critics.
This inspiration shapes her artworks with their own narrative, full of freshness and subtleties, presenting vibrancy and energy. Even when depicting pain, wounds, and prejudices, they manage to capture our gaze and attention by showing that the torment of some can symbolize resilience, strength, resistance, and victories, and that beauty exists everywhere, leaving room for love.
Azuhli began painting in her childhood when she visited exhibitions with her sister, and she has been pursuing art professionally for eight years. She had artistic experiences in Buenos Aires, where she lived for a year studying visual arts. In the city of Porto, she had her studio and did an artistic residency in Mexico. She currently resides in Fortaleza, where she spreads her name on the walls of Praia de Iracema.
