The Greatest Technologies are Ours: Carrying the Legacy of Quilombola Culture and Life through Contemporary Afrofuturist Brazilian Art

Abstract

Afrofuturistic Brazilian artwork remains largely unexplored, with much of the scholarly work on Brazilian Afrofuturism focusing instead on film, music and literature. This thesis examines Afrofuturistic Brazilian art, concentrating on works that emerge from quilombos – communities established by escaped slaves that continue to exist today. Beyond its conventional portrayal as a cultural and artistic movement, Afrofuturism – defined as futurism that focuses on Black themes – functions as a methodological framework in this study. The thesis dissects Afrofuturistic quilombo art to discern which elements of quilombo culture appear most frequently, arguing that the most recurring visual themes relate to Black Brazilian religions, as well as to nature and tradition in quilombos. The study contends that these cultural motifs serve as narrative devices that carry the legacy of quilombo culture and life, additionally acting as a means for artists’ works to reconcile the past and present in envisioning a future that best serves Afro-Brazilians. Ultimately, this thesis examines the ways the traditions, religions and cultures born out of quilombos are represented in Afrofuturistic art, revealing that visual art can demonstrate the ability for quilombos, much like Afrofuturism itself, to transcend any one moment in time. The explored artwork provides a lens through which we can simultaneously consider temporality, the longevity of quilombos, and the potential for Afro-descendant communities to imagine liberated futures that draw upon their own pasts and presents.