Careta, who are you?
The project Careta, who are you? is an exploration in cultural representation and translation. Drawing from African-Brazilian popular culture and mythology, the characters emerge from aspects found in the Brazilian festivals which inspired the project: elements of playfulness, strangeness, mystical entities, and the blurred border between divine and profane celebration.
The costumes, made largely from donated, found, and second-hand materials coupled with symbolic objects from popular street markets in Brazil, were put together by craftwork reminiscent of techniques also used to make the costumes in Brazilian festivals
Ingredients of traditional celebrations from Brazilian popular culture and carnival permeate the photographs but, in the most carnivalesque fashion, don’t aspire to be eaten alone. The Caretas also want to gather from the new to feed their traditions, blurring cultural borders and mixing representations to sneak into new imaginations.
hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand 2020 @Wintec
