Retrospective exhibition showcasing Brazilian artist’s career opens in Abdali

AMMAN — Abdali’s new Corner Art Space has recently opened its latest exhibition called “X POST FACTO”, a retrospective on the work of Brazilian artist Ivana Panizzi.

The exhibit opened with the patronage of HRH Princess Rahma, and showcases Panizzi’s varying use of style and medium. Her works use different textures and compositions to convey her emotions at different points in her life. 

Panizzi told The Jordan Times she is not afraid to incorporate traditionally unorthodox materials such as scrap wood or vinyl into her pieces; something that in part stems from necessity. “Coming from a developing country myself — Brazil, I had to get creative with my materials,” she said.

Though this could have been a temporary phase of her life, Panizzi chose to continue her innovative methods, saying: “I have always been involved in community projects utilising discarded materials to create art... [my] passion for recycling is what motivates [my] artwork.”

Despite having found success, Panizzi said she remains connected to her roots; for her, “recycling/upcycling is an essential part of my work”.

However, Panizzi added that she does not neglect the importance of the artistic process. According to her, “all stages are important and unique, from the original idea to the execution of the works... since the beginning, my focus was on the technique and not on the style of my works. I didn’t want to be known as an artist that does the same thing time and time again... I always try to get an aesthetically strong result in any technique I use”. 

“Art is all about emotion and expressing what you are feeling in the moment,” Panizzi said, adding that through her travels as the wife of the Brazilian ambassador to Jordan, she has been exposed to many different cultures and aesthetics from developing countries such as Cuba, South Africa, Tanzania and Mozambique.

“Each country that I have lived in inspired my work; colours, textures, photographs, nature, climate, everything.”

However, whilst some of her sources of inspiration such as “family loss” highlight the resilience and emotional strength of the artist, her efforts to help to the communities in which she has lived has also influenced her art, such as work “in Jordan with Syrian and Palestinian refugees”. 

The exhibition is only the third to be held at the Corner Art Space and will run until March 25, according to a statement from the gallery.