Chico Tabibuia

Chico Tabibuia was born Francisco Morales da Silva, a self-taught Brazilian woodworker and carver, descended from a lineage of slaves and owners. Working with wood from the trumpet tree (or tabibuia), the artist drew on ancient beliefs for his phallic representations of indigenous deities known as Exus. Upon their discovery, Tabibuia’s time-travelling effigies won him considerable acclaim; and he found himself celebrated in multiple exhibitions, biennales and publications (notable collections include Museu Afro Brasil and Museu de Arte de São Paulo). COCKY is the first major retrospective of Tabibuia’s work in Europe.