Flowers and Folklore: Dafne Gonçalves, Art and Philosophy

Two fluffy felt flowers are suspended over fairy lights and moss. This dreamscape at the DJCAD Degree Show is the work of Dafne Gonçalves, who is graduating from the Art and Philosophy course.

Hailing from Brazil and Mexico, the artist takes inspiration from indigenous folklore and dreams. They tell The Jute Journal that a wide range of material was used, including wool, felt, moss, acrylics, watercolours, white earthenware, and even living grass.

The illustrations and ceramic sculptures mounted on the walls show distorted and ethereal human hands and faces. A pink pistol features a plant shoot at its barrel. The largest pieces, however, are two flowers suspended from the ceiling.

Gonçalves enjoyed making those the most. Using wool and felt, the centrepiece is an Angel’s Trumpet from South America.

‘I picked it because there is a shamanic ritual in Brazil made by these indigenous communities… They used to blow Angel Trumpets to summon people that have passed.’

Specifically, the flowers are used to make a tea that would alter an individual’s state of consciousness, and ‘they’ll try to communicate with their family, their friends who have passed, and also with their guides.’

The other floating flower is a Corpse Flower. It is native to Southeast Asia, and the University of Dundee’s Botanic Gardens has one that bloomed last year.

Gonçalves tells TJJ that they are interested in the Corpse Flower as ‘it is a culmination of other ecosystems that just become this massive blend at the end.’

This corner is an apt place for reflection, as it contains not only visual art but also slips of paper throughout the space with some of the artist’s writing, bridging art with philosophical reflection.

All of this is set beside windows that open to the natural greenery outside, making this part of the DJCAD’s Crawford Building all the more pleasant.

You can check out Dafne Gonçalves’ work @lloramantra on Instagram