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Gato Preto (2025) Painting by Ritchelly Oliveira
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Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas
100 x 80 cm / 39.3 x 31.5 in
Original work by Ritchelly Oliveira (Brazil, b. 1993)
“Gato Preto” is a captivating and deeply symbolic composition, executed in charcoal and acrylic on canvas. At its center, a woman gazes with composed intensity while gently holding a black cat. Two dark birds rest upon her headwrap like extensions of thought, memory, or ancestral presence.
The monochromatic palette and the artist’s masterful use of light and shadow give the work an atmospheric, contemplative quality. Charcoal lends the piece a tactile immediacy and emotional weight, while acrylic softens transitions and creates layers of visual silence. This is a painting that does not shout—it whispers—and in doing so, it becomes profoundly magnetic.
Every element in “Gato Preto” is infused with metaphor. The black cat, often a symbol of independence and mystery, here becomes a silent companion—an emblem of emotional intimacy and private connection. The birds, a recurring motif in Ritchelly Oliveira’s visual language, hover like metaphors for unresolved memories, emotional wounds, and the echoes of lived experience.
The subject’s gaze does not simply meet the viewer—it transcends them, evoking a quiet tension between presence and the unseen. This delicate balance makes the work stand out within the broader scope of contemporary figurative art.
This work is not only technically refined—it is emotionally and symbolically rich. Ritchelly Oliveira is steadily emerging as one of the most authentic voices in Brazilian contemporary art, known for exploring themes of emotional memory, identity, love, and vulnerability through a consistent and deeply personal body of work.
“Gato Preto” is part of this ongoing narrative. It carries the strength of coherence—the sense that it is not just a painting, but a chapter within a broader visual and emotional journey.
Related themes
Ritchelly Oliveira, born in 1993 in Brazil, is a visual artist who studied visual arts at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG). He began his professional journey in the plastic arts in 2012 and has since developed a distinctive approach to exploring the human figure. Oliveira’s work delves into what he perceives as the deepest aspects of affective relationships, particularly the concept of love. He views love as a universal feeling, yet one that remains deeply individual and personal, often tied to emotional wounds that may never fully heal. His art speaks to the courage required to navigate emotional experiences and the complexities of human connection.
Over the years, Ritchelly Oliveira has gained recognition in the art world, with his works exhibited in both Brazil and the United States, and featured in various international magazines. He believes that portraits act as fingerprints in our minds, allowing us to explore the connections between love, family, and daily experiences. For Oliveira, the portrait serves as a way to both honor presence and address absence, helping to bridge the gap between the living and the departed. His process also allows viewers to identify with the emotions conveyed through these intimate depictions.
Some of his portraits are intentionally unfinished, reflecting the idea that, much like human beings, we are constantly evolving and carrying unanswered questions and unfulfilled desires. These gaps in his work invite new interpretations and meanings, embracing the potential of the unfinished. Although Oliveira’s work now primarily aligns with realism, he stresses that this style emerged organically and without pretense, becoming a natural part of his artistic expression.
- Nationality: PORTUGAL
- Date of birth : 1993
- Artistic domains: Represented by a Gallery,
- Groups: Artists presented by a gallery
Artmajeur Magazine No. 32 
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