Latest news with #Paulino
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
A Black Brazilian Artist Who Wields Poetry and Persistence
Rosana Paulino, one of Brazil's most influential artists, works from a narrow three-story house in Pirituba, a neighborhood of simple homes and shops that huddle along the hillside in the northwest outskirts of São Paulo. Her small balcony looks toward a pocket park, a railway line and a nature preserve on a ridge that belies the urban sprawl beyond. The daughter of a cleaner and a house painter, Paulino has pushed her way with stubborn insistence from modest origins in the Black working class into Brazil's top institutions — at one time working clerical jobs for three years to pay for prep classes to get into the best universities. But she remains rooted in São Paulo's north-side neighborhoods, where Black culture formed around the rail yards and the warehouses where laborers transferred coffee and other crops before shipping them abroad. 'It's very important for me to stay here,' Paulino, 58, said, on a muggy afternoon in April, as a tropical rainstorm gathered. 'It's that old story — you start to have a name and money and so you move out of your community. No, no, no. That's absolutely not for me.' She emerged as an artist when bourgeois tastes and Modernism dominated the museums and schools, making little space for the work and perspectives of artists from Brazil's Black majority. Lately the climate has changed. A survey at the prestigious Pinacoteca de São Paulo museum in 2018 and participation in the 2023 São Paulo Biennial cemented Paulino's hometown recognition; her inclusion in the 2022 Venice Biennale, with some two dozen large-scale drawings of part-human, part-plant female figures, brought visibility abroad. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Intertwining Ferocity Of Feminine And Floral, Night And Day, Rosana Paulino Decodes Colonial Narratives
Rosana Paulino Untitled | Sem títu lo , 2025 graphite, acrylic and natural pigment on canvas ... More grafite, acrílico e pigmento natural sobre tela 133 x 96 x 4.5 cm 52 3/8 x 37 3/4 x 1 3/4 in Courtesy of the artist and Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo, Brussels, Paris, New York Photo credit: E studioEmObra A nude goddess figure with cropped dark hair and green eyes bends her arms at the elbows and lifts her forearms to extend open palms, indicating her nurturing and protective nature. White lilies sprout from her plump lips and hands, symbolizing purity, rebirth, and innocence, as they frame her form and draw together the natural landscape and the figure. In Brazil, white lilies are popular at weddings and baptisms, as well as for funeral arrangements to signify the deceased's return to a state of innocence and to express condolences. A diurnal bird, vibrant blue with a crimson crown and beak, crowns her head, extends its wings in tandem with the goddess' open palms, and appears alert and awake in the night. Viewers are captivated by her formidable presence, filling the monumental canvas which is cropped at her shins. At more than four-feet-tall and over three-feet wide, the life-size goddess commands attention as she gazes to the viewer's left. Rosana Paulino 's Untitled | Sem títu lo (2025), a graphite, acrylic, and natural pigment on canvas evokes emotion and forces an inquiry into the relationship between the nocturnal and diurnal. On view through June 14 at Mendes Wood DM in New York's Tribeca arts neighborhood, Diálogos do Dia e da Noite , a solo exhibition amplifying the far-reaching influence of the Afro-Brazilian contemporary artist, curator, and researcher born 1967, in São Paulo, is a highlight of New York Art Week. Examining the nuances in social, ethnic, and gender issues, especially the experiences of Black women and the ongoing consequences of racism and slavery in Brazil, Paulino fluidly works across sewing, collage, drawing, video, and installation to deconstruct colonial narratives and reconstruct image and memory. She infuses personal narratives into the sweeping phenomenological history of Brazil, exploring the nature of subjective, conscious experience and how individuals perceive and communicate their lived experience. Paulino uses the term 'psychic traces' to describe visual and conceptual markers that manifest the tenacious systems of power, control, and violence, as she maps colonial legacies. The exhibition welcomes us into diurnal at the street-level, and leads us into the nocturnal in the downstairs galleries. Our mood transforms with the imagery, as we feel the embrace of the visceral figures and depictions that delve deeper into the physical worlds of humans and plants and how those evoke myriad emotions. Mendes Wood DM Rosana Paulino from Senhora das plantas series/ da série Senhora das plantas , 2022 ... More acrylic, watercolor and graphite on paper acrílica, aquarela e grafite sobre papel 41 x 31 cm (drawing) 16 1 /8 x 12 1/4 in (drawing) 52 x 42 x 5 cm (framed) 20 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 9 7/8 in (framed) Courtesy of the artist and Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo, Brussels, Paris, New York Photo credit: EstudioEmObra While Paulino's large-scale works appear life sized and can be appreciated from a distance, more intimate works like Untitled | Sem título (2025), a dermatographic pencil and dry pastel on paper triptych demands close inspection. The two outer canvases depict downward-facing white lilies against the black background, framing the central goddess figure, drawing vines toward her heart center. While most lily species emerge from tall, upright stems and grow directly from bulbs, the Easter lily vine (Beaumontia grandiflora), produces a fragrant white lily-like flower. Paulino's latest body of work presents an otherworldly perspective into the natural environment. We may wonder, what do plants do at night? While they lack the complex neurological function needed to dream, their circadian rhythm can be imagined as an ethereal state. Rosana Paulino Untitled | Sem título , 2025 dermatographic pencil and dry pastel on paper lápis ... More dermatográfico e pastel seco sobre papel 42 x 29.5 cm (cada des enho) 16 1/2 x 11 5/8 in (each drawing) 53 x 104 x 5 cm (todas molduradas) 20 7/8 x 41 x 2 in (all framed) Courtesy of the artist and Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo, Brussels, Paris, New York Photo credit: EstudioEmObra In Diálogos do Dia e da Noite , Paulino revisits archetypes, female bastions, goddesses or guides encountered in her ongoing series Senhora das Plantas ( Lady of Plants ) series, evolving with limbs burgeoning into tree roots, hair flourishing as leaves, or fingers blooming into flowers. Her figures stand, crawl, or kneel, as if searching tirelessly for deeper meaning in darkness. Many of her smaller works behave like diaries we might stumble upon in a nightstand, inviting an innermost dialogue. Installation view of 'Diálogos do Dia e da Noite', a solo show of Afro-Brazilian artist Rosana ... More Paulino, at Mendes Wood DM in New York's Tribeca arts neighborhood, @2024 all rights reserved For those inclined to explore outdoors, Paulino's large-scale mural, The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night (2024), is concurrently on view at New York's High Line and . Rosana Paulino, The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night, November 2024 – December 2025. ... More Location Adjacent to the High Line at 22nd Street. Timothy Schenck 2015 As you traverse the seemingly endless array of art on display throughout New York, seek out Mendes Wood DM's debut at Frieze New York , with a major presentation of Japanese sculptor and installation artist Kishio Suga, who will be celebrated in a solo exhibition, opening July 25 at Dia Beacon . Founded in in São Paulo in 2010 by Felipe Dmab, Matthew Wood, and Pedro Mendes to showcase international and Brazilian artists, Mendes Wood DM now has locations in Brussels, Paris, and Germantown, New York. Kishio Suga Sliced Stones , 2018 eight stones a pprox 19 x 19 x 26 inches each (ground stone) a ... More pprox 2.5 x 24 x 16.5 inches each (sliced stone) Mendes Wood DM
Time Out
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Meet the mariachi using music to uplift New York's Mexican community
If there's one mariachi you need to know in New York right now, it's probably Alvaro Paulino Jr., a fifth generation New Yorker who has performed at weddings, funerals, quinceñeras and even divorce parties (the art form is versatile like that). Paulino has redefined what mariachis can aspire to by performing at monumental venues from Radio City to Madison Square Garden and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Now, as we enter an era in American history that has doubled down on its hostility towards immigrants, his mission has taken newfound importance: Not only to educate New Yorkers about the art form, but also to bring joy to New York's Mexican community. Paulino's father migrated to the U.S. in the 1970s, where he became a mariachi pioneer on the East Coast at a time when you couldn't so much as find jalapeños at a grocery store. When Paulino was growing up in Brooklyn, he was the only Mexican student at his school, and he'd attend picture days dressed in a full mariachi fit to represent the culture. Paulino wants people to understand that although mariachi is a form of entertainment, it's also a creative outlet that blends indigenous, European and African musical traditions. Mariachi music often served as an emotional valve in Mexico's smaller towns, where tradition prevented men from fully expressing their emotions. There's a real weight to mariachi, and you don't just wear a mariachi suit as a costume—you have to earn it, Paulino says, by getting professional training. Mexicans' ties to mariachi music comes from hearing it everywhere. It's the music usually played at weddings, big barbecues and even funerals. For Paulino, the music brings hope and nostalgia to New York's Mexican community, many of whom are terrified about the current administration's actions—so much so, that the vibe of neighborhoods like Corona, Queens are shifting because some are too afraid to leave their homes. 'We have to work as a big family and as a big team,' Paulino tells Time Out New York. Recently, he's been playing his music at protests and rallies because sometimes, words just aren't enough. Right now, Paulino says, he wants his music to serve as a bridge, 'for people of Mexican heritage who aren't able to travel to Mexico because of their legal status or other reasons.' He also teaches mariachi at New York University, and he sees a responsibility to dispel some of the misconceptions people have around it. 'People have big stereotypes, the first thing they think of is a big Mexican with a mustache and a tequila bottle under a cactus,' he says. 'When I put on a mariachi suit, I want them to respect me just as they would someone wearing a navy suit. It's not a party outfit, it's something powerful, and it connects me to my ancestors.' Growing up, Vicente Fernandez's 'Volver Volver: played at every family function I can remember. In the song, Fernandez recounts a humiliating heartbreak. Dispersed by his own agonizing screams, he confesses: 'I know how to lose, I know I lost, and I want to go back to you.' It's the opposite of a hot girl anthem—it's a down bad ballad. There are emotions in the song that might be described as 'cringey' in today's terms. Through that vulnerability, though, you reach catharsis: a realization that if you can hurt so bad you want to die, you can love just as hard, too. For a community that has faced a lot of hardship, untethered expression is both a form entertainment and survival. Italians have the opera. Americans have Broadway. Mexicans will always have mariachi.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
At Least 18 Dead, More Than 120 Injured After Roof Caves in at Dominican Republic Nightclub
Authorities are continuing to search through the rubble at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which saw mass casualties and injuries after its roof collapsed during an event in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8. The incident occurred within the hour after midnight, according to Associated Press. Among those who were present, at least 18 attendees have died, and more than 120 have been injured or hospitalized. Montecristi governor Nelsy Cruz was reportedly killed, as was the saxophonist who performed on stage with merengue singer Rubby Pérez. Pérez himself sustained injuries, according to his manager, Enrique Paulino. More from Rolling Stone Dominican 'Queen of Fusion' Xiomara Fortuna Refuses to Leave Anything Unsaid El Alfa Is Celebrating Sagittarius Season By Showing the World He's Dembow's Fiercest Leader The Ongoing Fight Against Femicides and Violence Against Women in the Caribbean 'We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,' said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations. Ambulances are traveling between the nightclub site and the local hospital as authorities work to uncover more concertgoers. Paulino noted that he initially thought the rumble was an incoming earthquake. In a video from the event uploaded to social media, a man can be seen pointing at the ceiling and noting that something had just fallen over the crowd. 'It happened so quickly,' Paulino told local reporters. 'I managed to throw myself into a corner.' 'We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,' President Luis Abinader wrote on X. 'We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.' The number of patrons present at the time of the collapse is unknown at the moment. Jet Set holds a total capacity of 2,000, per Resident Advisor, and regularly hosts concert events on Monday evenings. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes-Benz dealers traded sex for discounts, former saleswoman claims
Salesmen at a Long Island, New York, Mercedes dealership routinely offered discounts on vehicles to 'select female customers' in exchange for sex, a former employee alleges. In a federal discrimination lawsuit filed Monday and obtained by The Independent, Talita Paulino, who was hired last year at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa as a sales consultant, claims another employee, a 'product concierge,' shared videos of buyers providing sexual favors for discounts in the dealership's cars. 'Give them a good discount, and they'll do anything,' the salesman allegedly said, according to Paulino's complaint, which adds that she heard him say he had 'lost count' of how many women had agreed to such trades. On another occasion, Paulino, 29, says she watched her boss shove his hand down a female client's pants and fondle her buttocks while offering her a special deal, after which the two of them drove away in his personal car. The alleged behavior extended to staffers like Paulino, who contends the boss withheld crucial information from saleswomen unless they let him touch them 'in a sexual manner.' When Paulino brought up the situation to a female colleague, her complaint says the woman responded, 'You just have to ignore it and let them be men.' 'Everybody should work at a place where they are respected and treated with dignity,' attorney Joshua Paul Frank, who is representing Paulino, told The Independent. 'This obviously goes far beyond that.' In an email, Ana Shields, the lawyer representing Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa, said, 'The Dealership strongly denies the allegations as they are baseless and without merit. Additionally, after investigating the matter, the Dealership has no knowledge of the alleged discounts in exchange for sexual favors and vehemently denies that this occurred. We have found no evidence to support the Plaintiff's claims and intend to defend this matter vigorously. Since this matter is in active litigation, we will not be commenting further.' Messages sent to co-defendant Automotive Management Services, Inc. (AMSI), which oversees the dealership, went unanswered. AMSI is owned by reclusive West Palm Beach billionaire Terry Taylor, the largest private owner of auto dealerships in the nation. He also did not reply to emails seeking comment. Paulino began working at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa on April 26, 2024, and almost immediately found herself being objectified by higher-ups, according to her complaint. During her second week on the job, it says the sales manager took Paulino for a ride in a new GLE 350 to 'demonstrate to her the model's features.' But when the sales manager pulled into the parking lot of a 7-11 and said, 'I can tell you like me,' Paulino told him she was in a committed relationship, the complaint goes on. 'Oh come on, you wouldn't cheat?' the complaint says he replied, to which Paulino said, 'Absolutely not. Let's head back.' As time went by, Paulino saw the sales manager 'strok[ing] and caress[ing]' female employees in an inappropriate way, and making 'sexual and perverted remarks to them,' the complaint continues. However, when Paulino rebuffed the sales manager's advances, her rejections visibly 'angered him,' according to the complaint. Those women who played along were given more opportunities to make sales, and Paulino soon felt obligated to give in to the manager's demand for 'hugs,' in order to earn a living. '[W]hen she permitted [the sales manager] to hug her, his attitude drastically changed for the better, which enabled her to work under calmer conditions and increase her sales production,' the complaint contends. 'Unfortunately, [the sales manager] did not long remain satisfied with hugs and began demanding that [Paulino] scratch his back.' In one instance, the sales manager refused to provide Paulino with a sales quote for a potential customer unless she scratched his back, which she did, reluctantly, the complaint states. From then on, each time Paulino needed a sales quote, he insisted she scratch his back, the complaint says. When she refused, it claims his 'hostile and unhelpful conduct returned.' Soon, Paulino became aware that the sales manager and a product concierge-turned-sales assistant 'routinely provide[d] select female customers with discounts in exchange for sexual favors,' according to the complaint. One unsettling episode occurred while Paulino was in the dealership cafeteria with a group of male coworkers, the complaint states. The product concierge walked in and made a joke about management having discovered a condom inside one of the dealership's cars, after which he 'began recounting some of his sexual experiences that he had had with customers inside of the dealership's cars during working hours,' according to the complaint. 'Management knows those condoms weren't mine,' the product concierge allegedly said. 'Because they know I don't use condoms.' He then 'proceeded to take out his phone and show videos of customers with whom he had sex inside of dealership vehicles,' reiterating his practice of trading sex for discounts, the complaint states. The sales manager, as well, made no secret of his interest in young women who showed up to buy cars, pointing to one and commenting to Paulino, 'Oh my god, I would destroy that little body,' according to the complaint. She also allegedly heard him proposition female customers, more than once, saying, 'Have you been with an older guy before?' Broadly speaking, the dealership's 'male-dominated management team generally belittle[s] the subordinate female staff,' only giving them the same opportunities as male staff if they succumbed to their sexually inappropriate demands, the complaint states. In October 2024, some seven months after Paulino started at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa, she 'determined that it would be unreasonable to continue working under such detrimental conditions,' and resigned — a constructive discharge, in legal terms. In fact, when she emailed her 'forced resignation' to management, telling them she could no longer abide the constant sexual harassment, she did not receive any reply, the complaint concludes. Paulino is demanding economic and punitive damages, including lost sales opportunities, back pay, front pay, and loss of benefits, along with compensatory damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering, as well as attorneys' fees.
