Bárbara Assis Pacheco

Painting & Drawing

Doing this wasn’t a conscious decision or choice — it just happened.
I’ve always really liked animals, but I didn’t go into Veterinary Medicine because I’d be incapable of performing medical procedures. Since I’ve always drawn (and I know I’m privileged, I do), I ended up going in that direction — I kept drawing and just stayed doing this.
What I draw is the result of seeing the world as a cabinet of curiosities, I think that’s the best way to sum it up.
The supports or materials I use somehow end up in my hands (of course I’d love to always be painting huge canvases and drawing on big rolls of paper), and more and more I give myself the freedom to use everything.
Alongside the cabinet of curiosities, self-ironic, ugly, raw, and poignant series also appear — because I have to make them and because that’s what’s available.
Along with all of this, every now and then I paint swimming pools because I think they’re beautiful and appealing (and they’re easy to use — they don’t have red flags, you can see the bottom, and they don’t have algae — things that matter and are tied to childhood fears).
And finally, I like to romanticize Gauguin’s journey to Tahiti and admire his courage.
Oh, and I wish I knew how to paint for real.