Mano Penalva

In the book Mano Penalva, the artist emerges as a “watchmaker” who observes and reconfigures the fragmented world around him, transforming everyday life into a repertoire of rich narratives and cultural interpretations. Like a flâneur, Penalva collects objects from both the Street and the Home, removing them from their original contexts and recombining them to generate new arrangements and sociocultural readings. His works not only transform these objects but also reveal stories, weaving collective memory and cultural identity into each piece. Penalva explores the intersection between the handmade and the industrial, engaging with issues of consumption and globalization. Materials such as cane webbing, raffia, and wooden beads highlight his interest in capturing the cultural essence of objects while challenging the boundaries between high and popular culture, as well as between the public and the private.

This book invites readers to reconsider the role of everyday objects, accompanying Penalva on a journey that reveals the transformative potential of the ordinary and rediscovers the extraordinary within the layers of urban life.

Text in English and Portuguese.