The exhibition Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion will be on view from Friday, June 27 through Sunday, August 31 in the Groundwork Space at STRAAT Museum. The exhibition is accessible with a regular admission ticket.
Pixação emerged in Brazil as a form of popular expression in the early 20th century, but it developed into a youth movement from the urban peripheries in the late 1970s in Rio de Janeiro. By the early 1980s, it had spread to São Paulo, where it took on its distinctive form: monochromatic, straight, angular lettering. This style became a distinctive hallmark within the world of street art—not so much an act of vandalism as a visceral assertion of presence by marginalized youth. Through daring methods such as climbing and rappelling, pixadores turned the city’s architecture into a battleground for symbolic resistance.
Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion traces the movement’s evolution across three phases: emergence, confrontation, and innovation.
LIXOMANIA!zé’s global tags embody its roots (1984–2006), embedding a resistant spirit within Brazil’s urban fabric and beyond. Cripta Djan’s biennale disruptions mark its confrontational peak (2008–2012), merging street rebellion with artistic discourse. Eneri’s feminist rappelling heralds a new generation (2015–present), redefining pixação as socio-political critique and empowerment.
Through these artists, complemented by archival materials, the exhibition unveils pixação’s dual identity as protest and aesthetic practice, inviting reflection on art, authorship, and urban agency. Social structures such as grifes (alliances of pixador groups), points (meeting places), and folhinhas (signature sheets exchanged among pixadores) underscore its communal and competitive ethos, framing the movement’s cultural significance.
As part of the exhibition Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion, we are hosting a special Black Book Session on Saturday, June 28. From 14:30 to 15:30, there will be a panel talk with João Correia (guest curator), Eneri, and AGAIN. During this session, we’ll explore the similarities between the Amsterdam City Kid graffiti movement and the Brazilian Pixação movement. After the talk (15:30 – 16:30), there will be a signing session with the artists. This activity is included with a regular museum ticket. Due to limited seating, we kindly recommend arriving early.
Emergence and Resistance (1984–2008)
LIXOMANIA!zé, a foundational figure of pixação’s first generation, embodies the movement’s raw energy and collective defiance. Hailing from Santo André, his journey began in the 1980s as Brazil transitioned from dictatorship to an industrial, suburban reality. Influenced by punk rock’s rebellious ethos and São Paulo’s gritty streets, he channelled early pixação’s chaotic vitality through bold tags. His style, inspired by rock logos and ancient runes, inscribed marginalised voices onto the urban landscape.
As “ŹÉ UTINGA,” he marked Santo André’s walls often travelling on foot or by motorcycle, expanding across cities and countries—Spain, France, Germany, and the USA. His multifaceted oeuvre evolved from street tags to a respected art form, with exhibitions such as his 2018 New York debut and the 2023 solo show 35 Years of Lixomania critiquing consumerism through discarded objects and spray cans. His work remains a powerful testament to pixação’s roots in resistance and its enduring legacy as both protest and art.
Confrontation and Notoriety (2008–2012)
Djan Ivson Silva, known as Cripta Djan, is pivotal in merging pixação with the global art scene. Originating from São Paulo’s peripheries, pixação defies societal norms with raw, unapologetic tags. Active in the streets since 1996, Cripta Djan’s confrontational journey began in 2008 with a bold incursion at the São Paulo Biennale, thrusting pixação into institutional spaces. In 2010, his participation in Born in the Streets at Fondation Cartier in Paris elevated pixação as an internationally recognised form of contemporary artistic expression. That same year, his work at the 29th São Paulo Biennale skilfully blended street rebellion with artistic legitimacy.
His defiance peaked in 2012 when he threw paint at Artur Zmijewski, curator of the 7th Berlin Biennale, after the curator doused him with water during a debate on the boundaries of art and vandalism. This reinforced his dual identity as pixador and artist. His confrontational legacy continues to evolve, with recent works from his Criptografia Urbana (Urban Cryptography) series, exhibited in Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion, showcasing studio pieces rooted in his practice as a pixador on São Paulo’s streets. Cripta Djan’s enduring influence inspires new pixadores to push the frontiers of urban art.
A New Generation of Pixadores (2015–Present)
Eneri represents a new generation of pixadores, revitalising Brazil’s urban art with bold techniques and thematic depth. Her Caotica series confronts gender discrimination, transforming derogatory language into feminist empowerment. This work mirrors pixação’s chaotic aesthetic while weaving personal and societal narratives. Eneri’s innovation—pioneering rappelling to scale skyscrapers—expands pixação’s physical boundaries, symbolising defiance of urban and personal limits.
As a woman in a male-dominated scene, Eneri challenges gender norms, amplifying underrepresented voices and inspiring others, particularly women, to reclaim urban spaces. Her work critiques private property, visual pollution, and women’s exclusion from public realms. Eneri views pixação as a transformative tool for societal reflection, not legalisation. Through Caotica and her fearless approach, she redefines pixação as feminist resistance, technical ingenuity, and social commentary, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer in street and contemporary art contexts, such as the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, where she has exhibited twice.
Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion
LIXOMANIA!.zé, Cripta Djan & Eneri
Friday 27 June – Sunday 31 August 2025
STRAAT Groundwork-Space
The exhibition is included with regular museum admission. Plan your visit here.
Pixação: Resistance and Rebellion is made possible by the Embassy of Brazil in The Hague, as part of STRAAT’s Summer of Brazilian Street Culture program. From 15 August through 31 October, the museum will also host the exhibition NaLata x STRAAT, featuring works by several Brazilian artists.
Tickets
