By Alexander Picoult

Between Lands and Moons, presented by Eritage Art Projects from May 9th to June 8th, 2024, is a solo exhibition featuring the work of artist Peu Mello (BR).

Curation Statement:

“Between Lands and Moons” invites viewers to contemplate the cosmic interconnection that unites us to the vastness of the universe and the pulsating energy of the Earth through the work of Peu Mello.

Inspired by his travels in recent years between Brazil, Portugal, and Angola. He developed a new series of work aligned with his gravitational movement. The exhibition delves into the intricate relationship between lunar rhythms and life cycles, highlighting their profound impact and influence on human displacement and behaviour.

Just as the moon exerts its gravitational attraction, the Earth’s magnetic field plays an essential role in the navigation and orientation of various animal species during migratory movements.

By incorporating this facet of nature, the exhibition offers a sensitive view of the complexity of natural systems that have shaped migration journeys in the broader context of evolutionary history.

Peu Mello brings his research of textures using natural pigment creating different points of view that are lost in the scale between the micro and macro within the expanded organized chaos of the universe. A reflection on the influences of the universe to where it takes us and what makes us feel and how we can contribute to the world at every moment.

The presence of small silhouettes in some of the paintings speaks not only of humanity’s interrelatedness with the world around us but primarily about the significance of connecting with our own essence during life's journey.

The juxtaposition of earthy tones evokes a feeling of wonder and introspection.

Mello’s artworks serve as a guide, gently pushing viewers into a deeper state of self-awareness and mindfulness. An invitation to reflect on the innate wisdom that resides within us.

“Between Lands and Moons” encourages viewers to tune into their instincts, to listen to the whispers of intuition that guide us on our journey through life. By honouring and valuing these senses, we tap into a deeper reservoir of inner wisdom, aligning ourselves with the natural flow of the universe.

Between Lands and Moons | Exhibition View

Peu Mello has transformed Eritage’s secondary space into an unknown environment. “Between Lands and Moons” possesses a transportative quality; whether you find solace in the scorching desert plains, the icy terrain of a faraway planet, or the moon’s craters, Mello evokes them all in one room.

While the exhibition preaches the exploration of one’s internal qualities and further discovery of self, the works themselves also draw the viewer’s attention away from the anthropogenic and into nature itself. Thus, Mello suggests that the path to self discovery is not only achieved via interaction with others, but also through a reconnection to the land and a prioritization of quiet meditations. In this way, the realm of the human and realm of the land appear to collide, namely in the work Table of Manifest.

This specific installation contains a table with an array of natural items like rocks, soil, sand, and crystals in conversation with personal memorabilia and collected human items. However, under the table lies a perfect ring made up of only sand, rocks, and flowers. There is a sharp contrast between the ring’s orderly, perfectly circular pattern, and the wild disorder of the human objects above, perhaps suggesting a level of innate organization in nature that is severely lacking in modern human society. In order to reach such elevation, one must declutter internally to find the order lying beneath, untapped.

The incredible scale of Mello’s works enhances feelings of pleasant desolation and soul searching. Moon is one such work. The amorphous texture of acrylic on wood creates a pattern that resembles the texture of the moon’s surface, or perhaps the limitless reach of space. In comparison, the miniscule ‘M’ stands in great diminution. Whether it stands for the moon itself, or the individual making a trek through outer space, its size places great emphasis on the vastness of nature, and in a parallel way the vastness of one’s internal mind. Moon forces us to encounter the possibility that it may be completely impossible to ever discover all the secrets of the outside world and of the self.

The variety of media in this exhibition extends beyond rocks, natural materials, and natural dyes to photography, as well. In Namibe Desert Photos, Mello explores a different perspective of the peaceful loneliness in nature. Unlike the paintings in this exhibition, these photographs do not contain any human figures. However, the act of photographing requires a human presence, indicating that even without direct representation, a human among the vastness of nature still carries through.

I sat down with Mello to understand more about his artistic process and the significance of his work.

PICOULT: What do you feel is the fundamental connection between humanity and nature? How do you feel art has a place in that dynamic?

MELLO: If you think from the point of view of the micro and macro, I always believe that what’s on top is the same as what’s below. The scale of the universe can relate to the scale of all the cells in our bodies. For us, this means that humanity is a soldier of nature. Take the Hindu beliefs; they have a creator, a demonstrator, and a destroyer. We, as humans, all have that cycle and oscillation. We are born again from the ashes.

PICOULT: Do you believe that cyclical forces of construction and destruction have celestial influences in your art?

MELLO: Yes, I believe that totally. One thing brings the other. Good exists because bad exists – and that movement keeps the energy going. Everything is energy. Energy is always oscillating, just like the swinging rock in Warrior’s Balance.

PICOULT: Did the concept of energy play a conscious role in merging this exhibition with meditation sessions?

MELLO: I think this exhibition talks – not just for me, but everyone that can come here – about self-discipline, self-balance and being able to reach a place where you are comfortable in you. Group meditation is something I used to do in Rio, and something that always made me feel so good because everyone is in contact and enters the same energy through song. We create this constellation of energy, which is something very rich and comfortable for the soul.

Meditating with the exhibition brings you to some other place. As the rock spins, it creates an energetic field here. The math of its turns creates perfect drawings of mandalas in the air. I believe this follows the Hindu concept that we can achieve our plenitude through meditation and being a good soul.

Despite its ambient otherworldly qualities, Between Lands and Moons is strikingly accurate to the human experience of finding oneself and exploring the world at large. Mello’s work succeeds at creating a visual representation of what it means to achieve humanity through solitude and reflection.

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Exhibition Highlight: Between Lands and Moons