Unveil the Pulse of Identity: 2 Must-See Exhibitions “Rhythm & Soul – Brazilian Contemporary Art” + “Rhythm & Skin” at 69salon by KORNFELD

Mark your calendars for an extraordinary showcase that promises to be a cultural highlight of early 2026: Rhythm & Soul – Brazilian Contemporary Art (68projects) is a sweeping and deeply political panorama of Brazil’s contemporary art scene, bringing together multiple generations of artists whose works reflect the country’s beauty, contradictions, and ongoing struggles. From Afro-diasporic identity to Indigenous cosmologies, from gender and territory to resistance and joy, the exhibition reveals rhythm as a social force: a pulse that carries memory, protest, spirituality, and the tension between a fractured present and an imagined future. It foregrounds the voices and perspectives that shape Brazil today, far beyond stereotypes or spectacle. Artists: Francisco de Almeida, Rafael Baron, Panmela Castro, Lia D. Castro, Samir Dams, Mayara Ferrão, Alex Flemming, José Gomes, Rosilene Luduvico, muSa Michelle Mattiuzzi, OBastardo, Heitor dos Prazeres, Nádia Taquary, Ehuana Yanomami und Joseca Mokahesi Yanomami.

OBASTARDO – Rhythm & Skin (69salon) is OBastardo’s first solo exhibition in Europe. He’s one of the key young voices of Afro-Brazilian contemporary art, delivering a visceral, politically charged portrait of Brazilian society. His layered, symbolic visual language draws from the realities of Black life, the energy of the favelas, and the spiritual depth of Candomblé, exposing both vulnerability and power. These works speak to visibility, dignity, and the urgency of acknowledging bodies that history has too often marginalised.

OBastardo’s compelling body of work offers a poignant reflection of a society captured in all its vibrant multiplicity, each piece pulsating with life, fragmentation, and rhythm. As one of the defining voices of a young Afro-Brazilian generation, his art challenges invisibility, presenting bodies as vessels of history brimming with stories that demand to be told.

Opening Reception: Thursday, 15 January 2026 | 6–9 pm
Exhibition Dates: 15 January – 28 February 2026 | 11 am–6 pm
Fasanenstr. 69, D-10719 Berlin

“Rhythm & Skin” is a culmination of OBastardo’s residency at Galerie Kornfeld, running from October to December 2025, and it will feature new works crafted during his time back in Brazil. His portraits exude a dynamic force that resonates on both aesthetic and political levels. They present a tapestry of individual and collective identities interwoven through the strands of history, resistance, and aspiration.

Drawing heavily from Afro-Brazilian culture, OBastardo utilises a symbolic visual language rich with colour, pattern, and gesture. Each work is infused with dual meanings that speak to personal identity and collective memory alike. The figures featured in his paintings often inhabit a liminal space, caught between pride and melancholy, radiating spiritual strength that invites viewers into deep contemplation.

Fusing gestural techniques with urban visual elements, OBastardo’s hybrid painting style is characterised by a robust graphic structure and a vibrant, rhythmic palette echoing the aesthetics of street art, hip-hop culture, and Afro-diasporic influences. His technique embraces spontaneity, with visible drawn elements that enhance the gestural quality of the work.

During his Berlin residency, OBastardo amplified the conceptual layers of his art with a nuanced spectrum of skin tones, reflecting the complex fabric of Brazilian society. His depictions often anonymise individuals, liberating them from tangible identities while incorporating motifs of Orixá Oxalufan, symbols of creation and peace that serve to unify and protect the entire composition.

Through this exhibition, OBastardo brings to light the lived experiences of marginalised communities in Brazil, capturing the resilience and dignity of the Black population, the vibrancy of favelas, and the spirituality of Candomblé. His work is both a powerful indictment of social inequality and a celebration of survival and beauty.

Originally from Rio de Janeiro and now residing between Rio and Paris, OBastardo emerged from the realms of graffiti and urban visual culture. His artistic journey, honed through studies at EAV Parque Lage and Beaux-Arts de Paris, has fostered a potent narrative that speaks to identity, belonging, and the subtleties of Black everyday life. His prior exhibitions and accolades underline his position as a vital figure in contemporary art, with works held in prestigious collections and highlighted by prominent galleries across Brazil.

“Rhythm & Soul – Brazilian Contemporary Art“

“Rhythm & Soul – Brazilian Contemporary Art“, conceived for 68projects by KORNFELD, brings together Brazilian artists whose works capture the pulse of the country’s cultural, political, and emotional landscapes. Situated in the heart of Berlin, a city celebrated for its rich musical heritage and socio-political engagement, the exhibition examines how rhythm, both literal and metaphorical, renders visible the soul of a nation in transition.

Brazil is a land of contrasts: joy and resistance, tradition and futurism, festivity and protest. Through a wide range of media, painting, drawing, objects, and printmaking, the exhibition demonstrates how contemporary Brazilian artists translate their individual and collective identities into rhythmic forms of visual expression. Featured are works by artists from diverse generations and regions of Brazil, including Francisco de Almeida, Rafael Baron, Panmela Castro, Lia D. Castro, Samir Dams, Mayara Ferrão, Alex Flemming, José Gomes, Rosilene Luduvico, muSa Michelle Mattiuzzi, OBastardo, Heitor dos Prazeres, Nádia Taquary, Ehuana Yanomami, and Joseca Mokahesi Yanomami.

In Brazil, rhythm is more than music; it is a way of inhabiting the world. It vibrates through carnival drums and urban graffiti, it resonates in the cadence of protests, in the quietude of religious rituals, and in the architecture of cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Rhythm is at once tangible and symbolic, a language of resistance, identity, and joy.

Many of the participating artists are being presented in Berlin for the first time. Their works invite audiences into a vibrant art scene that is both poetic and defiant, whose rhythm, soul, and political resonance extend far beyond Brazil’s borders. “Rhythm & Soul“ seeks to capture these tensions and harmonies. The artists transform rhythm into a visual language: some works pulse with bold colours and gestural energy, while others move softly, invoking ancestral memory, spirituality, and introspection. Together, they compose a dynamic choreography of narratives.

Rather than depicting Brazil as a distant spectacle, the exhibition foregrounds the lived reality of a country that continually reinvents itself. It reveals how artists confront urgent issues while finding moments of beauty, community, and transcendence. It is a tribute to resilience, creativity, and the inexhaustible power of rhythm to sustain life and reshape collective consciousness. In Berlin, a city where rhythm has often signalled revolution, from punk in squatted buildings to techno beats in post-reunification clubs, Rhythm & Soul“ becomes both a mirror and a provocation. The exhibition invites viewers to experience rhythm not merely as an aesthetic pleasure, but as a radical force that shapes bodies, cities, histories, and futures.

Join 69salon by KORNFELD and immerse yourself in 2 Must-See Exhibitions: “Rhythm & Soul – Brazilian Contemporary Art” + “Rhythm & Skin,” 2 exhibitions that demand to be experienced, a vibrant celebration of identity, artistry, and the urgent narratives that shape our world.

@69salon_by_kornfeld
@o__bastardo

Artists
#LiaDCastro
Francisco de Almeida: @delalmeida_
Rafael Baron: @rafaelbaron1
Panmela Castro: @panmelacastro
Samir Dams: @samirdams
Mayara Ferrão: @mayaraferrao
Alex Flemming: @alexflemmingartist
José Gomes: @josegomesde
Rosilene Luduvico:
muSa Michelle Mattiuzzi: @musamattiuzzi
Obastardo: @o__bastardo
Heitor dos Prazeres: @heitorzinhodosprazeres
Nádia Taquary: @nadiataquary
Ehuana Yanomami: @ehuanayanomami
Joseca Mokahesi Yanomami: @josecaartistayanomami

Curator: Tereza de Arruda: @terezadearruda