José Borges

Overview

‘It was in a second-hand bookshop in Rio di Janiero, in 1999, that I first came across the work of José Borges: a small black-and-white woodcut, adorning the cover of a flimsy ‘chapbook’. It showed a devil prodding a young man dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt. The image had such graphic power and wit – and quality. I thought I had discovered an unsung genius.

 

I soon learnt that José Borges was one of Brazil’s most celebrated folk artists. Indeed he is famous across the globe, having exhibited everywhere from the Louvre to the Smithsonian Institute. A collection of his work is held by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. In Brazil he is – very properly - considered a Living Cultural Treasure.

 

Born in 1935 in the village of Bezerros, in the North Eastern province of Pernambuco, Borges creates vividly imagined woodblock prints that derive from the centuries-old Brazilian tradition of ‘literatura de cordel’ – cheaply-produced illustrated pamphlets recounting popular tales, both sacred and profane. Borges initially made small-scale woodcuts to illustrate such stories, but in the 1960s he started increasing the scale of his work, creating stand-alone images that carried the cordel tradition into new and challenging areas.

 

Borges’ prints – whatever their scale - have a unique immediacy. They combine a distinctive blend of bold imagery, lyrical simplicity and a teasing sense of narrative. His motifs – human and animal – are all deeply felt; drawn, as they are, from the rural life, the myths and the dreams of his native Pernambuco. This is Folk Art that is at once universal and highly personal.’

Works
  • José Borges, Untitled, 1999
    Untitled, 1999
  • Cobra Dance woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    A Dancada Cobra - The Cobra Dance, 1999
  • Saint Francisco with wildlife - coloured woodcut on paper by José Borges, represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    Sāo Francisco - Saint Francisco, 1999
  • José Borger, A circle of women holding hands in black and white
    A Ciranda - The Ciranda, 1992
  • Woodcut on Paper of the Sun, Cowboy and Bulls - by José Borges and Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    O Sol Quente No Sertão - The Hot Sun in The Backcountry, 1999
  • Orange, Banana and Pineapple Tree - Colourful Woodcut on Paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    Laranja Banana Abacaxi - Orange, Banana, Pineapple, 1999
  • Horses - Colourful woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    A Egua Mae - Mother Horse, 1999
  • Bull fighting colourful woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    O Beijo do Bode - The Bull Kiss, 1999
  • Blue Tiger - Woodcut on Paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    Blue Tiger, 1999
  • Donkeys, colourful woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    O Jumento - The Donkey, 1999
  • José Borges black and white woodcut on paper
    A Ultima Ceia De Lampião - Lampião's Last Super , 1999
  • José Borges black and white woodcut on paper
    Sāo Francisco - Saint Francisco, 1999
  • Couple & Observers - Black and White Woodcut on Paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    O Casado Namorrador - The Married Boyfriend, 1986
  • José Borger, Woman in red held by the devil with other figures
    A Chegada Da Prostituta No Ceu - The Arrival of the Prostitute in Heaven), 1999
  • Ladies of Firewood - Black and White Woodcut on Paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    As Tiradeiras de Lenha - The Ladies of Firewood , 1989
  • Horses on a leash - BW Woodcut on Paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    O Cavalo Misterioso - The Mysterious Horse, 1999
  • Fulozinha and The Cobra - black and white woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    A Fulozinha e a Cobra - Fulozinha and the Cobra, 1990
  • black and white woodcut on paper
    Dog, 1999
  • Black and white Girl turned Cobra woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    A Moca Que Virou Cobra - The Girl Who Turned Cobra, 1993
  • Red horned couple - woodcut on paper by José Borges. Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    Male and Female Red Horned Devil, 1999
  • Black and White Folk Tales Woodcut on Paper by José Borges and Represented by Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
    Folk Tales , 1999
  • woodcut on paper José Borges
    A Gata Máe - The Mother Cat, 1999
  • José Borges
    O Professor - The Professor , 1991
  • black and white woodcut on paper José Borges
    Apanhadeiras De Algodāo - Cotton Pickers, 1989
  • José Borges, O Psicanalista - The Psychoanalyst, 1999
    O Psicanalista - The Psychoanalyst, 1999
  • black and white woodcut on paper José Borges
    Bumba Meu Boi de Beserros - Bumba, My Ox from Beserros, 1998
  • black and white woodcut on paper José Borges
    O Namoro Do Matuto - The Matuto Dating , 1991