Gustavo Chams (; born May 28, 1994) is a Brazilian fashion photographer, designer and visual artist.Robert Alster, "Gustavo Chams", Carlo Sessa, January 12, 2018 He is known for photographing celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen, Thaila Ayala, Isabeli Fontana, Stella McCartney, Gaspard Ulliel, and Caroline Trentini; and for using one of his exhibitions to publicly criticize the 2019 Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro.Lilian Milena, "Brasileiro denuncia fascismo de Bolsonaro em exposição no Canadá" , Jornal GGN, October 26, 2018
Biography Born and raised in Santo André, Brazil, Gustavo started to work at early age as a digital retoucher and graph operator in a local photography lab.Robert Alster, "Entrevista al fotógrafo brasileño Gustavo Chams: 'Brasil tiene una variedad étnica y multicultural que inspira una nueva visión para el arte y la moda'", Viste la Calle, April 9, 2014Tuka Abrão, "Gustavo Chams", p. 6, , Year 7 Edition #74 July 2014 A few years later, as a photographer, he signed his first fashion cover which later granted him access to work with Brazilian local celebrities.Vanessa Souli, Azucar Magazine, February 13, 2018
His work received notoriety after working with celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen, Thaila Ayala,Alexandre Schnabl, "Seguir ou não seguir, eis a questão", Heloisa Tolipan, November 8, 2014 Isabeli Fontana, Stella McCartney, Gaspard Ulliel and Caroline Trentini;Tuka Abrão, "Gustavo Chams", p. 6, Revista dia-a-dia, Diário do Grande ABC, year 7 Edition #74 July 2014 In 2017, Gustavo created the #BrazilianSpring project, an artistic manifesto that fought for politico-socio-cultural changes in Brazil—a spring, in reference to the 1848 revolution also known as people's spring.Mirela Silva, "Exposição no Canadá mostra problemas sociopolíticos brasileiros ao mundo", April 12, 2017
In 2018, Gustavo held a solo art exhibition in Vancouver, Canada, publicly criticizing the 2019 Brazilian president elect Jair Bolsonaro. Gustavo received mixed reviews for this exhibition. The Jornal de Toronto said that Gustavo represents the voice of a social group that opposes the rise of far-right politics in Brazil, but it also questioned whether Gustavo's work had pushed it a little too far.André de Oliveira e Rodolfo Marques, A Oposição a Jair Bolsonaro ganha força de diferentes grupos sociais, p. 3, Jornal de Toronto, Edition #18, December 2018 The Jornal GGN said that Gustavo's exhibition is a clear portrait of Brasil's true reality after the 2016 parliamentary coup d'état that has led to the worst economical and social regret seen in 20 years that resulted to the rise of the far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro (PSL). Gustavo has also held other art exhibitions at different times across Brazil and beyond.Dani Souza, Pernambuco Cultural, March 21, 2017
Exhibitions
Subjective Reality, Pandemonium, Liquid Amber Gallery, 2019 – Vancouver, Canada Meandering, inflections, and angry camels, The Fields Exhibition and Project Space, 2018 – Vancouver, Canada Thesis Exhibition: Brazilian Spring, Visual College of Art and Design, 2016 – Vancouver, Canada Total Work of Art, Markeshift Spaces, 2016 – Vancouver, Canada Projeto Goela, Virtual Gallery, 2015 – São Paulo, Brazil
References