Born in 1986 in Limeira, Brazil
Lives and works in Limeira, Brazil

Born in 1986 in Limeira, Brazil
Lives and works in Limeira, Brazil
Zéh Palito's practice seeks to promote a relationship of mutual respect and pleasure between humans and the natural world, often drawing inspiration from Brazilian and African cultures. The artist works across very different scales, from ambitious site-specific murals to small-scale figurative works on canvas. In parallel with his commitment to the environment, elevating, inspiring and celebrating marginalised communities and underrepresented voices is a fundamental element of his practice - an implicit suggestion that the two issues go hand in hand.
Palito's vibrant murals present fantastical landscapes where humans, animals and plant-life coexist in dynamic harmony. Wide-open skies collide with flat geometric planes of colour, whilst big cats and tropical birds move through a world of vibrant foliage, houseplants and oversized fruits. Palito, choosing to represent those of Black and Indigenous heritage, depicts his figures in sync with their surroundings. Through dramatic shifts in scale and a highly saturated use of colour, the artist proposes a wonderous utopic vision for the future.
Whilst Zéh Palito adopts a similar visual vocabulary across his practice, the artist's most recent works on canvas focus on individuals with a greater intimacy of perspective.
Zéh Palito is a storyteller and cultural observer who provides insight into contemporary African diasporic life. Adorned with gold and other jewels, shells, exotic fruits, and flowers, the figures in his paintings become the centre of attention and the protagonists of their own stories. Each figure is positioned in a stance of power that illustrates a positive self-identity and pays homage to a rich cultural heritage. Combined with the use of bright colours, each figure demonstrates confidence, satisfaction, and self-assurance through their mere existence.
Despite making quite colorful paintings that evoke joy, they put forth pertinent political aspects and also speak of trauma, and of sorrow among minority groups, which can lead us to having these conversations about it.