{"id":491,"date":"2021-03-07T17:43:33","date_gmt":"2021-03-07T20:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/festivaltransatlantico.com.br\/maureen-bisilliat-copy-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-03-08T00:06:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T03:06:06","slug":"maureen-bisilliat-copy-copy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/festivaltransatlantico.com.br\/en\/maureen-bisilliat-copy-copy\/","title":{"rendered":"Thiago Borba"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black is Beautiful: Diving into the colour of Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thiago Borba\u2019s photographic series Black is Beautiful (also known via the hashtag #BLVCKSBTFLL and Instagram @tborba) bring together much beauty, both in the number of models portrayed, its concept, and its powerful Afro-Brazilian aesthetic. Born and raised in Salvador da Bahia, Borba spent twelve years away from his home city until he finally found his artistic calling, which, of course had just been waiting in the wings within himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black is Beautiful was born from his desire to return to his roots and to value the strength and black aesthetic that for so long, in his words, \"had been at the margins of what was standardised as beautiful.\" It was for this reason that Borba returned to Salvador after spending two years in Spain, where he took a photography course, and ten more years in S\u00e3o Paulo, where he worked for several major fashion publications (including Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Cosmopolitan).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his time working in the fashion industry, Borba became more aware of street fashion, which tends to give black people a more prominent role. While still in S\u00e3o Paulo, Borba reconnected with the idea of miscegenation and a lack of distinction between colour and race \u2013 something that is a mark of Bahia. With the carnival block Tarado Ni Voc\u00ea, of which he was a co-founder and was set up in tribute to Caetano Veloso, Borba was unconsciously channelling his interest in Afro music, religion and beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by a previous project, Jeito do Corpo [The Way of the Body], Borba discovered what he actually wanted to do. He says, \"I realised that this type of beauty was so often not in the places it deserved to be. I wanted to bring together these worlds, and introduce some warmth.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warmth, just as in Bahia, is not lacking in Borba\u2019s images, which have captivated admirers and media from all over the world, including those specialising in Afro art and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restoring black Bahian beauty to its rightful place is just one of the things that make his work so relevant. \"#BLVCKSBTFLL encompasses origins, past and future. It gives prominence to black beauty and exposes the power of colonialism in Brazil, especially in Bahia, the cradle of Africa in Brazil,\" says Borba. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pedro Henrique Fran\u00e7a<\/p>\n\n\n