Between the sea and the asphalt: The trajectory of Mulambö in contemporary art

Jun 24, 2025

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Mulambö grew up surrounded by symbols that he understood during his journey as expressions of art, from carnival, childhood comics, old stories from his grandmother, and the intense colors of neighborhood football. Long before entering galleries and museums, it was through his experiences on the street and at the beach that he formed himself as an artist. Today, he portrays what he found in the parties, the games, and the resistance — a work that is at the same time raw, sensitive, and humorous.

We spoke with Mulambö about the roots and influences that nourished his way of producing, as well as his desire to open paths for black and peripheral voices. Check it out below:

Do you remember what your first contact with art was? Was it something that was already present in childhood or did it emerge later?

My first contact was with things that only after a long time I realized were art and that influence me to this day, which were the carnivals and comics from my childhood. Museums, galleries, and those things appeared much later in my life, so the perception that playing carnival, listening to my grandmother's stories, and the colors of the neighborhood football teams are fundamental elements for my creation as an artist and that I always was surrounded by art was essential for me to understand what I do today. There is no museum in the world like our grandmother's house.

At what moment did you understand that you wanted to be an artist?

I always wanted to be a football player, and when this movement of making art started to grow in my life, I had no perspective of ever being an artist. I remember thinking that when I wanted to be a football player, I knew what would happen if everything went right: I would play for Flamengo, Real Madrid, the Brazilian National Team... But when I tried to think about what would happen if I became an artist and everything went right, I couldn’t think of anything because it’s a reality that is so distant that even dreaming about it seems impossible. But even if I didn’t know, I went for it, and now my work is teaching me various things I never dreamed of.

The name “Mulambö” carries memory. What is the symbolic weight of assuming this name as an artist?

I believe that my work and the way I try to present it, being very open about processes and insecurities, trying to demystify a lot of the symbolic weight that art carries. Using Mulambö as a name enriches all of this, and I try to carry that in the most sincere way possible. I want my work to be raw, visceral, crude, funny, and all of that with much feeling and truth because above all, I want my work to be what it is, and that I be an artist just as I was a little boy all covered in dirt from playing ball in the street and hanging out at the beach.

Both within and outside the visual arts, such as music, literature, and football — can you tell us what your greatest artistic influences are?

My greatest influences continue to be Carnival, fashion, and music. The parades of Leonardo Bora and Gabriel Haddad, the fashion shows of Casablanca and Nicholas Daley, the albums of Bad Bunny and Burna Boy, the dribbles of Vinícius Jr and Gonzalo Plata, the films of Mati Diop, or the surfing of Mikey February, the words of Suzanne Cesaire and the drawings of Eichiro Oda. I learn every day from many people, and I believe that a fundamental part of my work has been learning to listen attentively always.

Your art often starts from symbols of suburban everyday life. How do you choose what becomes a work?

My work is about telling stories, so based on the place where I will exhibit the work or the people who will be able to connect with the pieces, I try to understand what I can say that will make sense to me and also to those who are seeing it. So, I decide a lot about what I will speak about always keeping in mind who will be there to listen to me. For this, it is essential that my work is very sincere with what I live, with the symbols that cross me, because then regardless of how I will express it, if it's honest to me, I imagine it will touch people in some way too.

How do you see your art within the contemporary scene? Do you feel that it is opening or wide-opening doors for other black and peripheral voices?

I try to make my work create possibilities and perspective in some way. So I understand that within a scene that is very rich and varied, everyone brings a specificity and enriches the whole complexity that represents the art made in the peripheries. There are many experiences and lived realities, and mine, for example, starts at Praia da Vila. Opening the geographical map but also the subjective map of themes and languages is very important so that more and more people and places have opportunities like the ones I have been having.

You said that carnival was your school. What did carnival teach you about art, aesthetics, and narrative?

To carnivalize myself — whether at Sapucaí, at the Bloco do Truco, or in my backyard — was what taught me to be an artist. Carnivalization is the movement I seek to make with my works. The party, joy, playfulness, art as a form of resistance.

As an artist, is there still any language, material, or theme that you haven't explored but would like to experiment with?

I have a strong desire to dive into fashion. To think about my work reaching people's lives in a different way. The way we dress says a lot about us, so having my work present in that way would be amazing. One day it will happen hahaha.

What does it mean for you to open your studio in your hometown for your first exhibition here?

For me, it is very wild. Knowing that my work has reached various corners of the world and it was precisely this movement and experience that made it possible for me to hold this exhibition with so much affection. I have tattooed on my back 'from Praia da Vila to the world and from the world to Praia da Vila — it’s time to go back before going out again!

Finally, what do you hope people will feel and think after seeing one of your works?

I hope they feel alive in some way. In this new exhibition, if people from Saquarema see themselves in the works and feel that yes, our story is also beautiful, our memories and the places we step on are too, and if a child from here can go to an exhibition and feel at home, for me, that would be enough! After that, I’ll manage with collectors, curators, and everything else because at least this time my work will be for those who dive into the same sea as I do.