The solo exhibition “Origem” by artist Rio-Roberta Lima at the Tor Road Gallery marks the first public showcase of works produced in Finland and the Brazilian Amazon between 2023 and 2025.
Utilising the gallery’s unique verticality, unframed paintings will be installed within the staircase opening, suspended against natural light to create an immersive experience that evokes the feeling of being deep within the woods.
These paintings are central to the exhibition, intertwining Amazonian and Nordic cosmologies to create a visual dialogue between distinct geographical and spiritual landscapes.
In addition to the canvas works, the exhibition features natural, organic elements collected locally in Kobe, alongside smaller works of ink on paper, video pieces, and photographs. Through these moving images and mixed-media installations, the lush, shadowed depths of the rainforest are juxtaposed with the stark, transformative light of the North, creating a space where the artist’s identity flows freely between two worlds.
This project marks the artist’s second engagement in Japan. Building on previous performances at Kyoto Experiment in 2018, this new body of work expands a Finland-based practice into the realm of painting, offering a distinct perspective on the migrant experience. Through this artistic evolution, the exhibition continues to explore themes of resilience, adaptation, and the endurance of culture within changing environments.