Lesbian art in Brazil: threads and deviations

Abstract

From the erasure of identities, through censored books and the denial of spaces in the visual arts world, to vibrant urban visual installations and street performances, it has been a long road. There is now an urgent need to research and catalogue current and contemporary lesbian art practices, such as queer poetic performances, the new street carnival, urban visual arts, and all the forces that are still emerging, in order to make them visible in the academic environment and so that they are not forgotten. This article aims to provide an overview of the artistic and cultural production of Brazilian lesbians over the last three decades, focusing on literature, visual arts and their participation in street carnival. Specifically, it looks at the work of artists whose work includes lesbian and dyke-related themes. Expanded, collective and strengthened by the experiences and exchanges between its protagonists, lesbian art is now charting its own course and writing its own destiny, making its mark wherever it wants to be. The explosion of street art in recent decades has only confirmed this history and enriched the lesbian art scene, which continues to open roads and travel in the dream of a fairer, more sensitive and inclusive world.