Sertão Cerrado
José Diniz


On view November 14, 2016 – January 27, 2017

OAS F Street Gallery
1889 F Street, NW, Washington DC 20006

By appointment only, Mon-Fri from 9am to 5pm 
Please call 202-370-0151

Opening reception Wednesday, November 16 from 6-8pm
RSVP

AMA | ART MUSEUM of the AMERICAS | ORGANIZATION of AMERICAN STATES
SECRETARIAT FOR HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS


The OAS AMA | Art Museums of the Americas proudly presents Sertão Cerrado, an exhibition of photographs by Brazilian artist José Diniz. Sertão refers to backland region located inside the country, far from the coast. The Cerrado occupies much of the interior. The region has a great potential of water feeding the aquifers and hydrographic basins responsible for the supply to major cities. The Cerrado has a cycle of fire and water, after periods of drought and fire, explodes green and flowers, from the ashes. Diniz’s photographs originated from the want to describe the interior as a counterpoint the sea. The investigation led to an exhibition representing four elements of nature: earth, water, fire and air.

As part of the OAS’s Secretariat of Hemispheric Affairs, AMA aims to highlight the four OAS pillars-- democracy, human rights, security, and development—through the visual arts of its member countries. With Sertão Cerrado, the artist’s inventive yet familiar images address the need to protect our environment, developing in a way that is sustainable to the resources necessary for survival.

This exhibition is part of FotoWeekDC. Over the past several years, FotoWeek DC has earned its reputation for evoking discussion on relevant social issues. AMA has now participated in FotoWeek DC for each of the festival’s nine years.

José Diniz was born in Niterói and lives in Rio de Janeiro. He studied photography at UCAM (Cândido Mendes University) in Rio de Janeiro. He has published the books “Perpiscore” and “Literariamente” on his photography. In 2012 he received the Marc Ferrez Photography Prize - FUNARTE (National Art Foundation, Ministry of Culture) with the project “Maresia.” In 2011, he participated in the exhibition “International Discoveries III,” a biennial selection of 12 photographers curated by FotoFest. He has held solo exhibitions throughout the western hemisphere. He is represented by the DOC Galeria, Escritório de Fotografia, São Paulo; and ArtMedia Gallery, Miami.

AMA | Art Museum of the Americas’ work is based on the principle that the arts are transformative for individuals and communities.  This belief simultaneously serves to promote the core values of the Organization of American States (OAS) and its Secretariat of Hemispheric Affairs (SHA) by providing a space for cultural expression, creativity, dialogue and learning, highlighting themes such as democracy, development, human rights, justice, freedom of expression, and innovation.  AMA’s work advances the inter-American agenda, drawing on the arts to showcase a constructive vision of the future of the Americas via local and hemispheric cultural exchange.  This is achieved by showcasing cutting-edge exhibits of artists whose output creatively combine aesthetics with topical social and political issues and by establishing a dialogue of these works with AMA’s Permanent Collection.

The OAS F Street Gallery is accessible from the street level by elevator. For any accessibility information or concerns, please contact [email protected] or 202 370 0147.