Douglas Knesse

Born in 1996, between prodigious brothers acting in different areas, at 18 years old Douglas Knesse decided to trail his own path as an artist.

Creating his first exhibitions at his atelier, also at independent spaces and even at the beach, his work is multidisciplinary since the beginning, creating connections with the different worlds of audiovisual and streetwear, and in addition with the productions on several levels with his brother and trapper Mateca.

In his work, different languages meet, embedded in the contemporary, but in possible parallels with the legacies of action painting, abstract expressionism and pop art.

Influenced by the vast informations from the digital world, visible mainly in the iconography of his work, he also cultivates unusual interests for the contemporary art circuit, such as Jiu-jitsu, which unfolds in the physicality involved in his large- format paintings.

In the arid cultural landscape of Barra da Tijuca, Knesse created his atelier/bunker. A space for experimentation and inclusion, where he improves his plastic maneuvers and develops exhibition and intervention projects, often in collaboration with other artists.

Click here to read Suzette Bell-Roberts’ editorial on Knesse’s residency, published by Art Africa.