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As Londoners continue to brave the January cold, The Cult House has been busy organising a very special exhibition.
Come March, The Cult House is proud to present Brazilian street artist Andre Ruiz de Freitas (more commonly know as Decolife), in his very first solo exhibition in London.
Come March, The Cult House is proud to present Brazilian street artist Andre Ruiz de Freitas (more commonly know as Decolife), in his very first solo exhibition in London.
Originally from Sao Paulo, Andre is a self-taught painter, sculptor and street artist.
He began drawing simple, familiar objects at home at a young age, and very quickly realised art was what he wanted to do.
He drew caricatures in school for which he sometimes got into trouble for, but as he explains, “I was always very lucky, my mother has always encouraged and supported me in my choices”. Slowly but surely, his art became a means of communication for him.
He began drawing simple, familiar objects at home at a young age, and very quickly realised art was what he wanted to do.
He drew caricatures in school for which he sometimes got into trouble for, but as he explains, “I was always very lucky, my mother has always encouraged and supported me in my choices”. Slowly but surely, his art became a means of communication for him.
As a teenager, he began experimenting with graffiti, first in his own town and later across various cities in Brazil. This is where the name decolife came to be. Andre traded his art for tickets, food and accommodation with a fervent will to express himself, knowing that one day, he would make a life-changing journey. A journey that would “decorate” the lives of people around him.
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Andre’s passion for art went beyond the borders of his country as he felt a thirst to discover more. “I read so many books about medieval art, Greek philosophy and mythology. There are so many ancient texts and artists that fascinate me. Every reference I had was connected to Europe. I wanted to achieve something new and different and it was more than studying about art in a book. It was about going to all these places I read about, feeling things, and making my own life’s journey.”
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In 2012, Andre embarked on his long awaited “discovery of Europe”. He visited a total of 15 countries, starting with Portugal, Spain, France and Italy where he visited the great masters of Renaissance art.
Exchanging art for transportation throughout the great capitals of the European continent, he finally made it to London in 2013. A harsh time due to lack of equipment, the ever-positive Andre found shelter in front of the Victoria and Albert Museum, a place he often visited and wrote about in a small diary he kept.
Exchanging art for transportation throughout the great capitals of the European continent, he finally made it to London in 2013. A harsh time due to lack of equipment, the ever-positive Andre found shelter in front of the Victoria and Albert Museum, a place he often visited and wrote about in a small diary he kept.
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Since then, Andre’s colourful styles and techniques have graced the streets of Camden and East London, firmly placing him in the “must see” list of what is now called Urban Art.
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His travels to Belgium, Poland, Germany, and Austria (among others), have inspired him to produce an impressive collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures which have earned him two solo exhibitions in Turkey. “As long as I am productive, I feel I am doing the right thing.”
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As Above, So Below, is his very first exhibition in London.
A show dedicated to contrast, change and the Ying and Yang that is life. Each piece has a history, a different story: “It is a reflexion of cultures. The diversity you see in London is something I haven’t found anywhere else. There is a balance in this city that I find invigorating.”
Balance will be a recurring theme in this show, as Andre also creates a parallel with the days he found shelter in the phone booth across the Victoria and Albert Museum: “It is strange, it feels like some things are very different now, but there is also so much that is the same. At the end of the day, I think what really moves people is absolute truth.”
A show dedicated to contrast, change and the Ying and Yang that is life. Each piece has a history, a different story: “It is a reflexion of cultures. The diversity you see in London is something I haven’t found anywhere else. There is a balance in this city that I find invigorating.”
Balance will be a recurring theme in this show, as Andre also creates a parallel with the days he found shelter in the phone booth across the Victoria and Albert Museum: “It is strange, it feels like some things are very different now, but there is also so much that is the same. At the end of the day, I think what really moves people is absolute truth.”
Plutarch said: “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. ” I was lucky to meet Andre for an interview, although it was definitely not a regular one. Our meeting was an exchange of experiences, memories, symbols, life journeys and best of all, a common fascination for Greek mythology.
Join The Cult House at The Framers Gallery, from 1 to 9 March 2018
for a mind-blowing experience!
See a Live Painting Session at the gallery on Saturday 3 March.
Don’t forget to book your tickets for the Private View on Tuesday 6 March.
Meet decolife during a Late Opening on Thursday 8 March.
See the event information and images here
for a mind-blowing experience!
See a Live Painting Session at the gallery on Saturday 3 March.
Don’t forget to book your tickets for the Private View on Tuesday 6 March.
Meet decolife during a Late Opening on Thursday 8 March.
See the event information and images here
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Article & Illustration by: Dominique Marchi