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Ulisses Mendes learned early how to work with the clay found in the Jequitinhonha area. He was born in the town of Itinga, in 1955. “I think I learned by myself because I’m from a family of potters. My uncles and grandparents made pots and dishes, and since I was a child I have made miniatures of the things I see around me. As a teenager I started taking orders and now I live off clay.” Curiously Ulisses portrays the reality of his land without embellishing it. His Christs can be pregnant women, plantation workers or the unemployed. The pieces are loaded with strong social meaning, but have delicate features that seem to confirm the social justice he firmly believes in. Lyrical beauty he leaves to another character, Zira. “I’ve been working on this woman for a while. She’s a playful witch, who sometimes goes on top of the stove to warm herself when it’s too cold.” |
