Guilherme Borsatto was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1991 and graduated from Visual Arts at the Fine Arts University of São Paulo in 2019. Having experienced gender identity issues within a fragmented family from a very young age, he began exploring the vulnerability present in the dynamic between memory and erasure. He believes in our fragilities as well as our potential to be enablers of collective experiences. For Borsatto, that's the humanizing power of art. His works tend to re-appropriate discarded materials and are often developed in different mediums such as painting, installation, ceramics, and artist books.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How did you get started as an artist?

Growing up I was always the outsider, my family was very religious and as I faced my gender identity issues I had to create my own imaginary world. Art became my way of communicating without really saying things that were forbidden. Now I'm an adult, so I use my art to rewrite my past. Through my creations, I can create new memories.

What are some of the central themes you pursue in your work?

My work focuses on the dynamic between memory and erasure and its fragilities. When I create new memories, I end up erasing my own. But somehow people relate to these romantic and ideal memories. That's because this way of portraying memories is very much present in our culture and media, which is all around us.

Describe a typical day in the studio / wherever you make your work.

I like to work from home! So I can really live my creative process. When I'm taking care of my house plants, or even when I'm doing any housework, that's when I get my clearest thoughts, and then I can easily get into work.

What motivates you to make your art?

I really want to create collective aesthetic experiences! When others relate to me through my work, that's when I feel the most human.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on a series called "you've tried to color memories." I don't really know how it'll turn out yet! But, right now, it's basically artificially aged family photos with beautiful splashes of color.

See more of Guilherme Borsatto’s work

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