In March 2019, Régis Gonçalves presented the exhibition (dis)Guise at WGKunst in Amsterdam. In this solo presentation, he brought together paintings, collages and assemblages in which reuse and layering played a central role. Born in Brazil and shaped by years spent in Africa, Gonçalves developed a strong preference for materials others consider worthless: wood, cardboard, cans, fabric remnants, magazines and religious objects. In his work, these materials are given new life, not only as objects or surfaces, but as carriers of meaning.

Flowers form a striking motif in the exhibition, although they are never depicted literally. Régis refers to inexpensive Brazilian cotton with floral prints, known as chita, widely used by people with modest incomes. In his work, these prints become abstract fields of colour and form, creating contrast and tension. The cheerfulness of the patterns stands in sharp contrast to the underlying themes of concealment, desire and identity.

A notable aspect of (dis)Guise is that Régis makes himself visible in his work for the first time. In expressive, layered self-portraits, a black male figure emerges, not clearly defined, but partially hidden beneath layers of paint, images from pornographic magazines and religious iconography. At times, the works are framed within a peepshow box, as if the viewer is invited to glance into a world charged with symbolism and tension.

Régis cooks as he paints, or perhaps paints as he cooks. He combines, adds, conceals and surprises. Not everything is immediately visible. His art invites you to look beyond the surface. The materials may seem random, the images chaotic, yet nothing is accidental. Everything is carefully selected and balanced, like flavours in a well-composed dish.