ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Punacotheca

Also called paronomasia, the pun is a form of wordplay that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. Recognizing in this process a potential to create ambiguous and bizarre – sometimes ludicrous – images, Rodrigo breaks down the barriers of the possible, to produce paintings and illustrations of a surreal world of visual absurdity, which gives title to this exhibition: Punacotheca.

Playing with the English or the Portuguese languages (almost always choosing puns that work in both), the artist portraits readings on expressions, sometimes being artificially literal, some others, focusing on second meanings that he extracts from them. Using acrylics, permanent pens, or other techniques, Rodrigo brings us a selection of 30 paintings and illustrations that will leave no one indifferent.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rodrigo de Matos is an editorial cartoonist for the weekly newspaper Expresso (Portugal) since 2006, having been awarded with the Grand Prix in the Press Cartoon Europe 2014 (Belgium). Living in Macau (China) since 2009, his works also featured in the pages of the newspapers Ponto Final and Macau Daily Times. Born in Silva Porto (Angola) in 1975, he grew up in Brazil and graduated in Journalism in Coimbra (Portugal). Major in Editorial and Press Illustration by the Esdip art school, Madrid (Spain), Rodrigo had cartoon exhibitions in Macau – Albergue SCM (2012), Old Court and Portuguese Consulate (2017).