collection: Guilherme Oliveira
introducing the second piece in our exclusive dandy collection of art:
heat season :: Guilherme Oliveira :: dandy collection #00002 :: digital :: 2021
The most immediately noticeable aspect of Guilherme Oliveira’s personality is that he’s surprisingly humble for someone so talented. His excitement for art and the queer artist community he sees developing around him, makes him easy to connect with, and I didn’t realize how infectious his positivity was until after our interview. I walked away feeling energetic and ready to take on the world with him, one piece of raunchy, sexy, color-splashed queer art at a time.
(dandy:) Whats your relationship to the LGBTQ+ community?
(Oliveira:) In the last years I’ve been exploring a lot. I explored drag and I did some performance art exploring gender and sexuality. I create my paintings with that idea of expressing body positivity and freedom, in a way to break free from the mode of being a gay male. I was raised in Brazil 'til I was 21, so it was quite a process to understand my role as a gay male, and to try to help others to find their own. So I would say that queer identity is something very present in me, and in my work
How long have you had a passion for expressing your queerness through art?
The idea was always present. I grew up in a country that cultivates the macho culture a lot- so I had this interest in body representation because I never really identified as a macho man. From that confusion boiling for years, I finally got more confident in 2017 about my own freedom to draw sketches and write poems, but in the end, I got afraid again to make myself so vulnerable. So then in 2018 I finally decided to let it all out and the result really made me realize so many things about myself, and it has helped me find others that feel the same way.
What brought you to Portugal?
I moved to Portugal because I always wanted to feel true to myself. When I first came, I only thought that this would be a little travel, and I’m still here after 10 years. I found that the country is really safe for me to be myself, and I could really breathe. Of course, being an immigrant brings a lot of other frustrations, but I believe it has also helped me to put things in perspective.
What are you focusing on with your art now? Where do you see it going?
I would love what I have done so far to be published in a book to close a first chapter to it. I am interested in producing some videographic pieces, and I also want to paint more and have the opportunity to show it outside of Portugal. I’ve been receiving a lot of positivity from the US, and I have never been there, so maybe this opportunity has been a bit of a calling for the future.
We would love to have you. You have such a beautiful way of representing sexuality and the male form in your work. What specifically draws you to men, though? Like, what is your favorite part of a man's body?
Hmmm. Lips and a hairy body. I could also include armpits. It’s hard to choose though. I mean, the whole figure interests me.
Oh I know how that goes. So, what's the first step in your process then?
When I'm working with a model, I start a dialogue- to get to know what is underneath the persona. Sometimes it is too easy to fall for the ego that we are interacting with. From there I choose my colors. I pick what suits all the feelings I am trying to communicate, and only then do I work on the lines.
Do you always use live models?
I mostly collaborate with models, but sometimes when I have an idea I just sketch it and if I need some help with anatomy I look online for positions. Live models are more fun to work with since I can get to know more about who they really are.
I am a big fan of this piece you made for the dandy collection. What inspired you to use the colors you picked?
I do have a particular relationship with red and warm colors. Maybe because I grew up in a tropical country? But that heat really speaks to me in way that entices action and movement. It pleads for engagement and draws in the eyes and mind. It is very visceral and passionate, so I wanted that figure to represent this kind of flame and this will to begin, to create an invitation for something to happen.
Who is the man in this collection piece?
It’s no one in particular, but also a representation of everybody. I mean, even though I drew it from an idea, it has been influenced by many interactions I've had with other people.
Whats your daily life like? What do you enjoy doing?
I actually have so many things to do right now. Im finishing my fine arts graduation by this summer- I hope. I do work as a professional Japanese chef and somewhere in that I try to practice my independent art and other projects. Sporting is something that I really enjoy to loosen up a bit, and experiencing the culture around me in general is also one my big interests.
Where are you studying?
I study in Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto here in Oporto [Portugal].
Will you describe your favorite color for me?
Red- and nuances of pink.
What kind of red do you mean? Like where would you find it in nature?
A vivid one with hints of yellow and magenta. In nature it would be something like the inside of grapefruit, the color of red corals or a marigold flower.
Oh fantastic, you see some of that coloring in your collection piece.
Yeah, I really love it.
What is it that inspires you to be creative? Also, what do you hope to communicate or accomplish through your work?
I feel that my work comes from a place of truth, and from all the trauma of dealing with my sexuality. Learning to accept plays a huge role in life and affects how we deal with situations and connect with others. After growing up with so much pressure to be a macho male, being bullied hard back in school, homophobia, etcetera. To talk about it, express it, and to receive other people's life story- and then having the chance to put mine out there and register just a bit of what we go through and still survive -and rise proudly- is very special to me. The sense of community is really something I cherish. I do believe from what I see that we are growing a lot and out fight is going far- often in different ways, but still looking to make a safe place for all of us.
Is there anything else you think is important for us to know about you?
I’m very grateful for everybody that has supported and worked with me, as well with those that have helped me to understand more about self representation, and the different shapes and processes of acceptance. It has been a very special journey for me.
Most of our favorite work of Oliveira’s is too erotic for the public pages of dandy. Please take the time to visit his work in the adult-verification-protected gallery to get a stronger sense of his interest and style.
more in the dandy uncensored gallery
Guilherme Oliveira
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All work appears courtesy of the artist.
instagram :: @gui.oh
etsy :: https://www.etsy.com/shop/guioh
