Rodrigues Gonçalves
Location: Sunderland
Biography
Rodrigues Goncalves (b.2000) is a Portuguese-British artist currently located in the UK.
Rodrigues studied primarily visual arts on Madeira Island, Portugal. He spent multiple years working at the internationally renowned Fine Art Foundry Powderhall Bronze in Edinburgh, UK. Rodrigues graduated with a BA (Hons) in artist designer maker: glass and ceramics at the University of Sunderland, UK. Additionally, he was awarded a three-year mentorship programme by the well-known British architect Mike Davies, CBE designer of Pompidou Centre, Paris and Lloyd’s Building, London.
Rodrigues has exhibited internationally. He was awarded Best in Show (Glass) 2022 Degree Show BA (Hons) in artist designer maker: glass and ceramic University of Sunderland [ Sunderland (2022)], Highly Commended Artist New Graduate Review [UK, (2022)] and The 2021 Glass Prize Artist [UK, (2021)].
He made an appearance in Biomedical Visualization, Advances in Experimental Medicine, and Biology [ Glasglow, (2022)], The New Artist, Boomer Gallery [ London, UK (2021)] and The Working Artist III [ London (2021)].
Submitted work
Title: ‘Briton’ Series
About the work
The Briton series embraces symbols of Western capitalism that are part of Britain's popular culture and heritage. This series acknowledges Briton's contemporary banalities in parallel relationship to their consumeristic and industrial society. The everyday banalities, approached with a degree of neutrality, are a combination of traditional and innovative casting, taxidermy, and mixed media techniques. The use of appropriated everyday objects in the work addresses the blurred future of the coexistence of consumerism and capitalism with culture and heritage. The work raises questions regarding the impact of socioeconomic forces on the exponential evolution of modern civilization and how commodities quantify the degree of status, taste, progress, and well-being.
This series of works seeks to question the function of Art in our contemporary, as a revelatory tool to fully acknowledge and understand Modern history and improve humanity's path.
“From a young age, I had the will to participate and be part of the dialogue of Art. This series of works is my take on defining what is British culture as a foreigner.
This award would contribute to the public understanding of modern history and the improvement of humanity's pathway and attribute to my practice the credentials to be acknowledged by a wider audience.”
