JAIDER ESBELL

Gladstone Gallery presents the first exhibition in the United States dedicated to the work of activist, artist, and curator Jaider Esbell. Spanning works from his final years between 2018 and 2021, the exhibition brings together paintings on canvas and drawings.

January 29 - March 1, 2025

Jaider Esbell was a key figure in a dramatic shift in the Brazilian landscape of contemporary art in recent years. This movement saw artistic creation by Indigenous peoples, Afro-Brazilian communities, and other traditional populations—equally central to the country’s formation, yet historically sidelined—shift from being mere subjects of the establishment’s representations to taking center stage in exhibitions and biennials across the country.

An activist and educator among the Macuxi People, who inhabit the Amazon region bordering Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela, Esbell viewed visual arts as a tool to express the urgency of a narrative of resistance through exhibitions, institutional collaborations, and talks. He established in Boa Vista, Roraima, an artistic and intellectual laboratory that brought together Native Peoples, paving the way for an entire generation of Indigenous artists.

The works on display at Gladstone prominently feature Jaider Esbell’s distinct visual signature. Using paints ranging from acrylic to Posca, and ballpoint pen on canvas and paper, the deep black backgrounds of his pieces are filled with intricate lines, dots, and vibrant patterns. At first glance, these may appear as cosmic imagery to those unfamiliar with Macuxi cosmology but gradually reveal recognizable animals or enigmatic creatures. These works are often inhabited by kanaimé, powerful spirits that can act as allies or adversaries in the battles of the Macuxi.

The relationship between humans, non-human animals, and other forest beings is central and urgent to Esbell’s work and the political scope of his practice. As he shared his worldview with broader audiences, he fought for the recognition and defense of Indigenous peoples’ rights and territories, threatened by the expansion of mining in the forest—practicing what he named “artivism.”