DEAL!, 2025
oil on canvas
30.8 x 40.8 cm
12 x 16 in

Installation views from “Contract” at Luisa Strina (São Paulo, 2025)

The painting “DEAL!” is based on a frame from Robert Bresson’s 1959 film “Pickpocket”. In the scene, what initially appears to be a simple handshake is revealed, upon closer inspection, to be the theft of a watch. The universal image of trust between two parties — the handshake that seals deals and agreements — is thus corrupted by the notion of deceit. Installed on the gallery ceiling, between concrete beams, the work occupies an unusual position for a painting, acquiring an installation-like quality.