Tênue

The works in the Tênue series do not establish an exact or delimiting pattern in their presentation; rather, they are sustained by an investigation into the fragility of structures—visual, symbolic, and material—to which the very term of the title refers. It is the idea of the “tenuous” as something that exists, but only barely, like structures that may come undone at any moment.

The works present kinds of systems under tension, as if each painting created a field in which order attempts to assert itself but is never fully achieved. The images are built through accumulation and sedimentation, whether by the repetition of elements or by the overlapping of layers. The gesture remains restrained, disciplined, and almost silent—much like the selection of palettes that compose the works, formed by muted, earthy, and low-saturation tones. Fabiana Preti employs this vocabulary to create works that reinforce the nearly meditative atmosphere of the compositions, investing in minimal variations, subtle deviations, and the fragile balance between order and dissolution.

Gabriel Babolim