00:00:06.424 --> 00:00:09.844
"I was welcomed in the Xingu Indigenous territory

00:00:09.844 --> 00:00:14.682
by generous hearts and saw a mirror
reflecting the reverse of 500 years ago.

00:00:14.682 --> 00:00:19.270
I understood that the bank originates
from the heart of our country."

00:00:19.270 --> 00:00:22.940
In memory of Rafael Costa (1963 - 2024).

00:00:24.650 --> 00:00:31.324
In memory of Mari Hirata, who brought
Brazil and Japan closer together.

00:01:15.118 --> 00:01:19.080
Thomas, good evening. This is Maykuti.

00:01:19.122 --> 00:01:21.916
I hope everything is fine over there.

00:01:22.625 --> 00:01:26.587
Here is everything fine.
It's been raining,

00:01:27.213 --> 00:01:29.215
but it's also very hot.

00:01:30.007 --> 00:01:32.552
Things are all right here in our village.

00:01:34.095 --> 00:01:39.976
I just wanted to ask you something,
Thomas, I have a question.

00:01:40.101 --> 00:01:44.021
There is a man there in São Paulo,
he's the owner of a museum,

00:01:44.730 --> 00:01:48.776
and he wants to buy artwork.

00:01:48.860 --> 00:01:53.489
He wants to buy a bench made by an artist,

00:01:53.948 --> 00:01:56.117
it has to be from an artist.

00:01:56.826 --> 00:02:01.789
I wanted to check with you
if I can be defined as an artist.

00:02:02.123 --> 00:02:08.671
This person over there wants to buy
a bench made by an artist, ok?

00:02:09.255 --> 00:02:12.925
So this is why I wanted to ask you first

00:02:12.967 --> 00:02:14.802
whether I'm an artist or not.

00:02:14.802 --> 00:02:16.804
That's it, ok?

00:02:16.804 --> 00:02:20.850
Thank you. And let me know.

00:02:20.850 --> 00:02:25.062
I'll talk to you later.
A big hug to you. Bye.

00:02:37.116 --> 00:02:40.244
What is art and what is craftsmanship?

00:02:40.578 --> 00:02:42.413
The difference between art and crafts

00:02:43.706 --> 00:02:46.918
cannot be defined
solely by the appearance of the work.

00:02:57.053 --> 00:02:58.846
The question is

00:02:59.847 --> 00:03:02.308
what the artist

00:03:02.934 --> 00:03:05.728
wants to express.

00:03:20.117 --> 00:03:26.165
SOUTHERN BORDER OF GAÚCHA DO NORTE - MT

00:03:32.838 --> 00:03:35.424
And that goes beyond the artist.

00:03:36.050 --> 00:03:39.095
It encompasses the collective,
in this case,

00:03:40.137 --> 00:03:41.430
the Mehinaku people,

00:03:41.847 --> 00:03:43.808
the Japanese people,

00:03:44.225 --> 00:03:45.726
the Brazilian people.

00:03:46.227 --> 00:03:47.937
What is the collective looking for?

00:03:58.322 --> 00:04:00.366
The posture of trying to capture

00:04:01.200 --> 00:04:02.827
and embed what you are seeking

00:04:03.411 --> 00:04:06.664
at this moment, at this time,

00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:10.126
into your work.

00:04:10.501 --> 00:04:11.586
This is art.

00:04:25.975 --> 00:04:31.188
KAPUNA VILLAGE
XINGU INDIGENOUS TERRITORY

00:05:52.937 --> 00:05:59.485
XINGU TOKYO ANCESTRAL CONNECTION

00:06:35.146 --> 00:06:38.649
What if we group them some more?

00:06:43.654 --> 00:06:45.906
And put them a little more aligned.

00:06:56.208 --> 00:06:57.460
-Ok?
-Yes.

00:07:00.921 --> 00:07:02.965
-It's easier this way.
-It surely is.

00:07:04.967 --> 00:07:06.927
These are water stains.

00:07:07.553 --> 00:07:10.431
We have to take care of the wood.

00:07:12.183 --> 00:07:13.184
Here.

00:07:16.020 --> 00:07:18.981
-And that spot over there?
-I don't think so.

00:07:19.648 --> 00:07:21.484
It's not, I can easily wipe it off.

00:07:22.985 --> 00:07:25.613
It came from another country,
another city.

00:07:27.114 --> 00:07:30.242
This could have happened
in São Paulo too.

00:07:31.535 --> 00:07:34.705
-Let's turn it back up?
-Yes.

00:07:35.915 --> 00:07:37.833
It's so heavy!

00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:42.713
-Leave it to me, Carol.
-Sure.

00:07:42.797 --> 00:07:46.425
-This is why you're so strong.
-That's true!

00:08:35.641 --> 00:08:37.434
We need to have one here.

00:08:37.560 --> 00:08:40.563
Let's put these two further to the front.

00:08:43.107 --> 00:08:44.275
Like that?

00:08:45.442 --> 00:08:48.362
EXHIBITION DESIGNER

00:08:49.822 --> 00:08:50.823
Do you like it?

00:08:52.283 --> 00:08:54.785
We are almost done.

00:08:55.786 --> 00:08:57.288
What about the round one?

00:08:59.206 --> 00:09:01.584
Let me see...

00:09:05.170 --> 00:09:08.966
I think this part here is not right.

00:09:10.217 --> 00:09:12.344
Now that you mentioned,
it does look strange.

00:09:13.095 --> 00:09:15.598
How about we put it back a little?

00:09:25.816 --> 00:09:26.901
Amazing.

00:09:44.418 --> 00:09:46.754
IN 2018, THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN
TEIEN ART MUSEUM

00:09:46.795 --> 00:09:50.049
HOSTED THE FIRST EXHIBITION
OF BRAZILIAN INDIGENOUS BENCHES IN JAPAN,

00:09:50.132 --> 00:09:52.176
WITH AN EXHIBITION DESIGN
BY ARCHITECT TOYO ITO,

00:09:52.176 --> 00:09:53.719
WINNER OF THE 2013 PRITZKER PRIZE

00:09:53.761 --> 00:09:56.388
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
THAT PIECES FROM THE BEI COLLECTION,

00:09:56.430 --> 00:09:58.974
FROM 17 PEOPLES FROM XINGU AND THE AMAZON,
LEFT THE COUNTRY

00:09:59.058 --> 00:10:00.142
Dim the light, please.

00:10:06.941 --> 00:10:08.108
In fact,

00:10:11.236 --> 00:10:13.739
in terms of bringing more life,
this works better.

00:10:14.573 --> 00:10:18.827
I just realized a critical situation.

00:10:19.411 --> 00:10:20.955
Move the smaller ones over here.

00:10:22.247 --> 00:10:24.208
Oh, My God!

00:10:25.709 --> 00:10:26.752
Definitely there.

00:10:42.393 --> 00:10:46.647
KAUPUNA VILLAGE
MEHINAKU ETHNIC GROUP

00:10:51.819 --> 00:10:54.488
This is our village. Our village.

00:10:55.864 --> 00:10:58.617
My late mother named it Kaupuna.

00:10:59.451 --> 00:11:00.452
Kaupuna.

00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.913
She told me,

00:11:03.455 --> 00:11:08.168
“It was the name
of your grandparents’ village,

00:11:08.377 --> 00:11:10.713
of the Mehinaku people.”

00:11:11.922 --> 00:11:14.717
This revived the name

00:11:15.968 --> 00:11:19.388
of the ancient Mehinaku village, Kaupuna.

00:11:20.806 --> 00:11:26.270
Personally, I am very happy
with our village.

00:11:26.645 --> 00:11:29.648
It looks the same as the old village,

00:11:30.065 --> 00:11:32.443
it has buriti and buriti palm trees.

00:11:33.402 --> 00:11:35.029
It's beautiful.

00:11:35.946 --> 00:11:38.991
Just like my grandparents' village.

00:12:13.901 --> 00:12:17.112
Do you know our artwork, the benches?

00:12:17.863 --> 00:12:19.448
They will be on the exhibition.

00:12:20.282 --> 00:12:24.078
I wonder if you know
the meaning of the benches

00:12:24.203 --> 00:12:25.913
and their production process.

00:12:26.497 --> 00:12:28.791
Let me tell you.

00:12:28.916 --> 00:12:30.375
So you know.

00:12:31.126 --> 00:12:33.837
The bench is a special object to us.

00:12:43.472 --> 00:12:46.433
Let's clear the way!

00:12:46.850 --> 00:12:48.685
There are wood stumps here.

00:12:55.234 --> 00:12:56.235
Ok!

00:12:57.903 --> 00:12:59.029
We're coming!

00:13:02.032 --> 00:13:04.993
Clear the way even more,

00:13:05.160 --> 00:13:07.704
so we don't stumble
when carrying the benches.

00:13:11.125 --> 00:13:13.210
Look for the piranhea tree.

00:13:13.752 --> 00:13:18.715
These piranhea trees here
are of a good size for the benches.

00:13:19.007 --> 00:13:22.177
This one is for small benches.

00:13:22.344 --> 00:13:27.224
This is the wood that we use
to make benches.

00:13:27.558 --> 00:13:30.185
Yes, this wood over here.

00:13:30.394 --> 00:13:35.232
We do not produce with
any other wood, only this one.

00:13:35.315 --> 00:13:37.276
We'll show you how we do it.

00:13:45.075 --> 00:13:47.286
They are so vigorous forms.

00:13:47.369 --> 00:13:48.370
It's fascinating.

00:13:48.537 --> 00:13:52.583
They might have used a large tree
since the outer wood is not used.

00:13:52.916 --> 00:13:54.418
The inner part is quite solid.

00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.839
This shape, these curves are beautiful.

00:13:59.047 --> 00:14:00.924
Really beautiful.

00:14:03.552 --> 00:14:08.056
Everyone, especially the archaeologists,

00:14:08.182 --> 00:14:12.728
wanted to understand these works

00:14:12.936 --> 00:14:16.064
like artifacts.

00:14:16.857 --> 00:14:19.568
But I don't think they're artifacts.

00:14:19.818 --> 00:14:24.573
These are not artifacts. This is art.

00:14:24.907 --> 00:14:27.492
That's why I wrote this

00:14:28.452 --> 00:14:29.453
for him.

00:14:30.287 --> 00:14:34.249
This exhibition features an art
which is being born right now.

00:14:35.667 --> 00:14:37.461
-That's true.
-I wrote this for you.

00:14:37.544 --> 00:14:38.962
He wrote this for you.

00:14:41.882 --> 00:14:44.384
This is my work. This is me,

00:14:45.010 --> 00:14:47.221
this is my uncle,
the chief of the village.

00:14:48.138 --> 00:14:53.560
His name is Uruhu,
can you see it here? Uruhu.

00:14:55.938 --> 00:15:01.443
In the Japanese Pavilion there are photos
of him with the traditional painting.

00:15:01.652 --> 00:15:04.154
Back in São Paulo? I understand.

00:15:04.196 --> 00:15:08.325
In the gallery space
there are blown up photos of him,

00:15:08.617 --> 00:15:12.037
but in the exhibition space
he is wearing western clothes

00:15:12.079 --> 00:15:16.333
and people ask him if he's really
an indigenous person or not.

00:15:17.251 --> 00:15:19.836
Many ask me,
"Are you really indigenous?"

00:15:20.045 --> 00:15:24.091
Who will be the next one, after me,
to make a bench? Uruhu? Uruhu, come!

00:15:31.682 --> 00:15:35.477
Indigenous peoples do not use
a stereotypical image,

00:15:36.186 --> 00:15:38.814
or a ready-made image.

00:15:39.648 --> 00:15:40.816
On the contrary,

00:15:41.775 --> 00:15:44.695
that's what they interpret

00:15:45.237 --> 00:15:48.949
from what they see
and what they think is good.

00:15:49.366 --> 00:15:51.034
There's an attitude in choosing.

00:15:51.868 --> 00:15:53.662
And the result of that is art.

00:15:58.542 --> 00:16:02.963
Up to this point,
the work is done in the forest.

00:16:13.807 --> 00:16:15.600
This is what we call

00:16:16.393 --> 00:16:17.477
the eagle's bench.

00:16:17.936 --> 00:16:21.898
I'm making a harpy eagle,

00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:25.402
with a crest on its head.

00:16:26.361 --> 00:16:29.990
It has a crest on its head.

00:16:30.782 --> 00:16:37.789
This bench is inspired
by the Mehinaku eagle.

00:16:37.914 --> 00:16:40.000
This is how artists do the finishing,

00:16:41.001 --> 00:16:43.337
by shaving it with the machete.

00:16:43.670 --> 00:16:47.424
You don't need to use a coarse file.

00:16:48.008 --> 00:16:54.139
The finishing is done
with movements like these.

00:17:00.103 --> 00:17:01.897
Then you can get a sanding sheet,

00:17:02.272 --> 00:17:03.732
and sand it.

00:17:04.107 --> 00:17:06.234
Once it's looking like this one,
it's ready.

00:17:06.318 --> 00:17:08.862
So, this is how we do it,
using the machete.

00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:14.993
Now it's ready.

00:17:16.203 --> 00:17:18.789
Then, it's time to paint it.

00:17:28.632 --> 00:17:31.218
This is a hinoki, a Japanese cypress.

00:17:34.638 --> 00:17:38.809
He said the indigenous people enter
the forest and choose the wood they want.

00:17:38.934 --> 00:17:40.560
I envy that.

00:17:41.686 --> 00:17:44.606
In Japanese, as it is written in kanji,

00:17:44.773 --> 00:17:47.818
an artisan is someone
who works with their hands.

00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:49.694
How can I say...

00:17:49.736 --> 00:17:52.030
People who take pride,

00:17:52.197 --> 00:17:54.991
puts their soul into their work
and master the technique.

00:17:55.367 --> 00:17:57.411
That is the real artisan, the shokunin.

00:17:57.828 --> 00:18:03.959
For me, arts and crafts
are two different things.

00:18:04.376 --> 00:18:06.670
But, in their case,

00:18:07.045 --> 00:18:10.340
it seems to me there's a very thin line
between arts and crafts.

00:18:11.383 --> 00:18:13.718
They go side by side
and are about the same.

00:18:20.809 --> 00:18:22.978
This technique's been around
for 2,000 years!

00:18:23.019 --> 00:18:26.731
Not this specific tool,
but this usage format.

00:18:27.691 --> 00:18:31.945
This kind of tool
exists for 2,000 years...

00:18:32.112 --> 00:18:33.613
It's Japanese style.

00:18:33.905 --> 00:18:34.906
Got it.

00:18:39.202 --> 00:18:40.328
It's a hard technique.

00:18:40.412 --> 00:18:42.831
It's not the same as they do in Brazil.

00:18:42.873 --> 00:18:47.878
But there are many similarities.

00:18:49.045 --> 00:18:51.047
Oh, I see.

00:19:11.193 --> 00:19:12.486
This wood is strong.

00:19:12.486 --> 00:19:16.114
Artists have been using it
for a long time

00:19:16.490 --> 00:19:19.784
until these days.

00:19:19.910 --> 00:19:21.286
Do you see the wood?

00:19:21.703 --> 00:19:26.416
It's different. You can see
how strong it is. And it also looks good.

00:19:26.458 --> 00:19:31.171
The wood shows its beautiful color
That's why the bank is expensive.

00:19:31.338 --> 00:19:34.132
It will cost a lot
because the wood is good and beautiful.

00:19:34.549 --> 00:19:38.094
I work on the wood for a long while,
using the machete.

00:19:39.513 --> 00:19:42.891
Then, I will sand it.
It takes a long time to produce.

00:19:46.770 --> 00:19:51.066
Once it's ready, I have to carry it.
I'm already sweating. This wood is heavy.

00:19:51.441 --> 00:19:57.614
You can see it's too heavy to carry.

00:19:57.906 --> 00:20:01.451
This will be the stingray's leg,
which I'm making in a regular format.

00:20:02.118 --> 00:20:07.040
I'll take my time doing the legs.

00:20:07.123 --> 00:20:09.834
The work is done little by little.

00:20:09.918 --> 00:20:13.213
It is a bench to sit on.
It's a valuable, special object.

00:20:13.672 --> 00:20:18.134
This is a traditional bench.

00:20:18.468 --> 00:20:22.430
We are not creating the bench's structure.

00:20:23.306 --> 00:20:25.433
We always repeat the same structure.

00:20:50.792 --> 00:20:52.919
Not so hard. Do it gently.

00:20:54.296 --> 00:20:57.924
The pieces he creates are 10 times
the size of the ones we produce here.

00:20:58.508 --> 00:21:02.262
Therefore our tools are much smaller
than the ones he uses.

00:21:02.637 --> 00:21:08.184
The art universe is constantly changing
due to trends, fashion,

00:21:08.768 --> 00:21:11.271
but it also maintains
the essence of tradition.

00:21:11.313 --> 00:21:14.232
We must adapt the piece
to the place where it will be used.

00:21:14.399 --> 00:21:16.985
It's a product with a function,
people will use it.

00:21:17.068 --> 00:21:20.322
It's a legacy that is passed on
from one generation to another,

00:21:21.031 --> 00:21:23.408
which extends the piece's life

00:21:23.867 --> 00:21:26.328
and its chance to reach
multiple generations.

00:21:26.453 --> 00:21:30.999
One example is the ohitsu,
a container we use to store steamed rice.

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:34.919
It is usually displayed in museums
in Europe,

00:21:35.462 --> 00:21:39.090
It can be also be sold in museum stores.

00:21:39.591 --> 00:21:43.928
For people who don't have the habit

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:47.140
of eating rice,

00:21:47.223 --> 00:21:51.394
we would rather make a champagne bucket,

00:21:51.811 --> 00:21:55.023
or anything else that may be part
of the daily lives of Europeans.

00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:58.109
Simply put, we maintain
the essence of tradition,

00:21:59.611 --> 00:22:04.616
while also adjusting the piece
to different needs,

00:22:05.283 --> 00:22:09.496
so that they would
be useful in several places.

00:23:31.786 --> 00:23:34.622
In ancient times,
people used to make works like that.

00:23:36.499 --> 00:23:38.251
In the Edo period, I think,

00:23:38.835 --> 00:23:43.882
they used to make mokocho,
wooden sculptures, which were rare.

00:23:44.674 --> 00:23:49.512
Comparing the work of Japanese
artisans and their work,

00:23:49.721 --> 00:23:53.767
what's the difference?

00:23:54.768 --> 00:24:01.149
When the idea of Western sculpture
arrived in Japan,

00:24:03.193 --> 00:24:06.821
in the 19th century,

00:24:07.739 --> 00:24:12.285
the Japanese who made butsuzo,
or Buddha statues, were called craftsmen.

00:24:12.410 --> 00:24:13.661
But they made art.

00:24:14.454 --> 00:24:17.415
Those who made
Western sculptures were called artists,

00:24:17.916 --> 00:24:24.464
while those making Buddha sculptures were
called busshi, Buddha statues' artisans.

00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:26.716
A distinction of both works was made.

00:24:27.592 --> 00:24:32.597
From then on, Japanese artisans
stopped doing creative work.

00:24:34.182 --> 00:24:35.683
However, that is changing now.

00:24:36.309 --> 00:24:42.232
Japanese craftsmen's work, which was not
regarded as creative, is now being valued.

00:24:42.982 --> 00:24:48.988
That's because the Japanese lost interest
in the Western concept of sculpture.

00:24:49.948 --> 00:24:54.577
So, rather than sculpture,
in Japan, craftsmen's work

00:24:55.328 --> 00:24:57.163
is now regarded as more creative.

00:24:57.247 --> 00:24:58.581
It's a current trend.

00:25:27.735 --> 00:25:30.280
People come in...

00:25:31.072 --> 00:25:33.867
I'm very considerate of visitors.

00:25:38.037 --> 00:25:42.917
At first, I was wondering
how I would display the animals

00:25:42.959 --> 00:25:47.672
so that they could seem
as lively as possible.

00:25:48.006 --> 00:25:53.011
When the works arrived,
they were so captivating...

00:25:53.303 --> 00:25:57.307
that I realized I didn't need
to worry too much about it.

00:25:57.974 --> 00:26:00.351
I can say that, in the end,

00:26:00.435 --> 00:26:04.731
I was simply captivated
by the energy of the animals.

00:26:07.025 --> 00:26:10.778
I say that's "Yūitsu Muni" [unique].

00:26:10.945 --> 00:26:13.865
Yūitsu Muni, is really unique.

00:26:14.365 --> 00:26:17.952
This is how we arrange the foreground.

00:26:19.954 --> 00:26:23.207
This is a prototype of the display table.

00:26:26.920 --> 00:26:31.716
I did this like a Brazilian jaguar.

00:26:31.925 --> 00:26:37.889
I made three animals, a jaguar, a pacu...

00:26:38.348 --> 00:26:39.891
and a bird.

00:26:40.183 --> 00:26:42.602
They are animals, so...

00:26:43.937 --> 00:26:48.483
I want them to feel free.

00:26:48.733 --> 00:26:53.863
The animals are on the outside
looking at the humans' world.

00:26:53.988 --> 00:26:58.660
This area is completely
surrounded by animals.

00:26:58.993 --> 00:27:04.165
We did it on purpose

00:27:05.333 --> 00:27:08.544
so that visitors could have
some eye contact with the animals.

00:27:08.586 --> 00:27:13.758
The animals look at us
from out of our world,

00:27:15.176 --> 00:27:16.260
So...

00:27:17.971 --> 00:27:22.892
as if there was a cosmos in this room.

00:27:26.062 --> 00:27:30.316
Could there be a relationship between
these works and mingei,

00:27:30.650 --> 00:27:35.863
Japanese crafts?

00:27:36.114 --> 00:27:40.368
Typical crafts, right? Well...

00:27:42.870 --> 00:27:46.040
There are some aspects
in common with typical crafts,

00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:51.629
but the Brazilian works have
a much greater connection with nature.

00:27:52.338 --> 00:27:54.465
That is my impression.

00:27:54.924 --> 00:28:00.013
A connection meaning they can become one
single unit, which I think is fantastic.

00:28:01.055 --> 00:28:07.895
He says which he likes the most
is the fusion of humans, animals,

00:28:08.646 --> 00:28:10.314
and nature, which is the wood.

00:28:10.815 --> 00:28:13.234
That's because the artisans

00:28:13.943 --> 00:28:18.364
created the works from the perspective
of the animals' eyes.

00:28:18.573 --> 00:28:21.993
I wish that could be perceived.

00:28:22.368 --> 00:28:26.706
Humans tend to look at animals
with superiority.

00:28:28.332 --> 00:28:30.668
And that's exactly what I wanted to avoid.

00:28:31.044 --> 00:28:32.128
Let's go.

00:28:32.962 --> 00:28:34.255
Anthropology.

00:28:37.300 --> 00:28:39.302
Can you see we have
similar body structures?

00:28:41.637 --> 00:28:43.848
One, two, and go!

00:28:45.099 --> 00:28:48.478
I don't think it's going to help
if I hand over my business card...

00:28:49.604 --> 00:28:55.777
I feel that, through the shape
of the animals' eyes,

00:28:56.778 --> 00:29:03.284
they try to express the depths of nature.

00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:11.167
It's not just a facial expression.

00:29:13.544 --> 00:29:19.175
They try to express the depths of nature

00:29:21.302 --> 00:29:22.595
through the animals' eyes.

00:29:22.929 --> 00:29:29.102
Sometimes we see the eyes of animals
and we get so impressed...

00:29:29.310 --> 00:29:31.104
I was afraid, sometimes.

00:29:31.813 --> 00:29:34.315
Fish... it is all handmade.

00:29:34.565 --> 00:29:39.570
It is represented through all kinds
of animal species, fish, snakes...

00:29:41.906 --> 00:29:44.492
They use only natural
raw materials. Me too.

00:29:44.534 --> 00:29:48.121
I carve wood and use urushi,
a type of lacquer, a natural resin.

00:29:50.581 --> 00:29:55.586
He says he carves wood

00:29:55.837 --> 00:29:58.339
and then he finishes with lacquer.

00:29:58.506 --> 00:29:59.507
All right, lacquer.

00:29:59.841 --> 00:30:03.427
That resin comes from a tree,

00:30:03.469 --> 00:30:06.806
a rather poisonous one,

00:30:06.889 --> 00:30:12.145
and it is refined through fermentation,
and then applied on the wood.

00:30:12.270 --> 00:30:14.021
It is a very similar process...

00:30:14.188 --> 00:30:15.731
We work exactly the same way.

00:30:15.773 --> 00:30:17.692
It's a 100% natural process.

00:30:18.317 --> 00:30:21.696
We have the same features, same hair.
We must have close ethnicities.

00:30:22.196 --> 00:30:23.656
It's in my DNA.

00:30:23.990 --> 00:30:27.451
Something has led me to carving
wood and coating it with natural paints.

00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:32.331
Carving wood
and using paints from nature.

00:30:32.540 --> 00:30:36.544
That could mean our ancestors
were the same.

00:30:38.337 --> 00:30:40.214
Brazil's current culture

00:30:40.548 --> 00:30:44.844
is based on Portuguese influence,
and also Latin, as a whole.

00:30:45.428 --> 00:30:47.763
Considered as an integrated culture.

00:30:48.347 --> 00:30:51.392
But before that,
about 15 thousand years ago,

00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:54.395
that is, in a period

00:30:54.687 --> 00:30:57.940
prior to the arrival of the Portuguese,

00:30:58.316 --> 00:30:59.609
who were coming from Asia,

00:30:59.942 --> 00:31:02.778
people crossed through the Bering Strait.

00:31:02.945 --> 00:31:04.572
They passed through North America

00:31:04.739 --> 00:31:08.075
and walked across the Panama region,

00:31:08.492 --> 00:31:11.454
until they finally arrived
to their destination, Brazil.

00:31:11.787 --> 00:31:15.291
I believe that, spiritually speaking,

00:31:16.167 --> 00:31:18.211
all this cultural baggage was bequeathed.

00:31:19.503 --> 00:31:21.756
And all this baggage

00:31:22.340 --> 00:31:25.426
is expressed in these works.

00:31:26.093 --> 00:31:28.262
Therefore, for a country like Brazil,

00:31:28.888 --> 00:31:30.181
this type of work...

00:31:32.266 --> 00:31:35.061
Needless to say,
it goes back to its origin.

00:31:35.311 --> 00:31:39.273
Considering its Western influence,
or the Portuguese influence,

00:31:39.398 --> 00:31:41.442
we must recognize
the existing free culture

00:31:41.525 --> 00:31:44.111
long before Brazil
was unified or integrated.

00:31:44.570 --> 00:31:49.867
In a period when love and care
for nature were much alive.

00:31:50.368 --> 00:31:52.286
That is what the works teach us.

00:31:52.328 --> 00:31:58.834
Japanese people feel
a strong affinity to nature:

00:31:59.085 --> 00:32:03.047
animals, flowers, natural phenomena.

00:32:03.214 --> 00:32:09.679
We maintained an animistic attitude
towards nature.

00:32:10.596 --> 00:32:16.227
There is a deep connection between
the Amazonian indigenous culture

00:32:16.352 --> 00:32:19.397
and the old Japanese traditions.

00:34:26.899 --> 00:34:29.652
The Jatoba tree is the home...

00:34:30.111 --> 00:34:32.321
of the spirit

00:34:33.489 --> 00:34:34.824
we call Atuxuwa.

00:34:36.575 --> 00:34:40.329
In the beginning there was a man,
the Yerepühu,

00:34:40.621 --> 00:34:43.124
who decided to live

00:34:44.583 --> 00:34:45.835
inside a Jatoba tree.

00:34:47.044 --> 00:34:50.756
He entered a tree

00:34:51.632 --> 00:34:56.137
similar to a traditional hut.

00:34:58.013 --> 00:35:00.015
He liked the Jatoba tree

00:35:00.182 --> 00:35:02.226
and chose it as home.

00:35:02.601 --> 00:35:07.189
The Axüu spirit standing on the Jatoba
decided to call himself Atuxuwa,

00:35:07.273 --> 00:35:08.899
which is the spirit of that tree.

00:35:09.525 --> 00:35:13.279
You can see the spirit of Axüu standing
on the Jatoba with blood in its mouth

00:35:14.655 --> 00:35:16.866
to be feared as a strong spirit.

00:35:18.242 --> 00:35:19.952
When the spirit attacks you,

00:35:21.203 --> 00:35:23.122
you end up bleeding from your mouth,

00:35:24.248 --> 00:35:27.585
bleeding and bleeding...

00:35:27.626 --> 00:35:31.046
Through shamanism, we identify
the disease caused by the Axüu spirit,

00:35:31.088 --> 00:35:32.631
which is the same as Atuxuwa.

00:35:34.216 --> 00:35:37.678
Under the Copaiba tree, lies a sacred
spirits lagoon, in the high forest.

00:35:38.387 --> 00:35:40.931
Atuxuwa is what you call whirlpool.

00:35:41.432 --> 00:35:44.101
We can see the spirit

00:35:45.352 --> 00:35:48.355
of the Jatoba in the shape of a whirlpool.

00:35:48.564 --> 00:35:55.029
When Jatoba leaves are standing,

00:35:55.488 --> 00:35:57.865
we believe he is there,

00:35:58.199 --> 00:36:00.910
in the Jatoba, and there is also

00:36:00.910 --> 00:36:04.371
another spirit we call Axüu.

00:36:05.289 --> 00:36:07.500
He has a black spot.

00:36:09.710 --> 00:36:11.712
Let's see if we can find him here.

00:36:12.296 --> 00:36:16.300
He is also an evil spirit
living at the foot of a tree.

00:36:16.550 --> 00:36:18.761
Especially,

00:36:19.678 --> 00:36:22.848
the spirit that cares most about the tree,
as he considers it

00:36:23.098 --> 00:36:24.266
to be his home.

00:36:24.892 --> 00:36:28.062
Atuxuwa considers Jatoba to be his home.

00:36:31.690 --> 00:36:35.277
If the spirit wants to harm you,

00:36:36.737 --> 00:36:38.614
he will blur your vision,

00:36:40.115 --> 00:36:43.536
he will torment you,
and you will get lost, confused.

00:36:45.037 --> 00:36:49.083
It once happened to me,
when I passed near the sacred lagoon

00:36:49.959 --> 00:36:52.127
at the root of the Copaiba tree.

00:36:52.461 --> 00:36:54.171
I started wandering around.

00:36:56.465 --> 00:37:01.554
I had to sit down and calm down
to find my way.

00:37:26.537 --> 00:37:30.249
I want the Japanese to know

00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:37.047
how much fun these
zoomorphic sculptures are,

00:37:38.132 --> 00:37:41.260
and graceful as well.

00:37:42.094 --> 00:37:44.096
When the Japanese come

00:37:44.221 --> 00:37:47.391
and see a zoomorphic sculpture

00:37:48.100 --> 00:37:50.019
from a stereotypical view,

00:37:50.644 --> 00:37:54.398
they see it just as a souvenir,
a typical local gift.

00:37:54.732 --> 00:37:55.816
There is a stigma.

00:37:56.483 --> 00:37:57.776
But that's not it.

00:37:58.569 --> 00:38:01.739
They should know zoomorphic
sculptures have life, plenty of life.

00:38:02.406 --> 00:38:04.033
They should look outside the box.

00:38:04.074 --> 00:38:06.368
This is the first point
I want to highlight.

00:38:06.410 --> 00:38:08.829
That everyone could
understand it and enjoy it.

00:38:09.455 --> 00:38:10.956
Second point:

00:38:11.540 --> 00:38:14.835
when you take a close look,
the benches are not just graceful,

00:38:15.794 --> 00:38:18.756
they are a little scary,
mainly when you stare at them.

00:38:19.298 --> 00:38:21.008
When eyes meet, it's scary.

00:38:22.259 --> 00:38:25.304
Certainly because these animals,

00:38:25.471 --> 00:38:26.847
despite being sculptures,

00:38:27.264 --> 00:38:30.893
bring much of the actual
animal, a great deal of it.

00:38:31.810 --> 00:38:35.606
There's the forest, the rivers,

00:38:35.856 --> 00:38:38.776
all the precision of Mother Nature.

00:38:39.234 --> 00:38:40.235
Its depth.

00:38:40.653 --> 00:38:45.532
Everything is represented in these pieces.

00:38:46.575 --> 00:38:50.287
The whole strength of nature
representing beauty.

00:38:50.663 --> 00:38:54.416
These animals tell the whole story.

00:40:15.038 --> 00:40:17.082
FROM 2018 ON, THE BEI COLLECTION PIECES

00:40:17.124 --> 00:40:20.711
HAVE BEEN EXHIBITED IN MUSEUMS
AND INSTITUTIONS IN BRAZIL AND THE WORLD,

00:40:20.753 --> 00:40:24.673
WITH THE PRESENCE OF ARTISTS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE COLLECTION.

00:40:25.466 --> 00:40:29.386
PART OF IT IS DOCUMENTED
IN THE BOOK BANCOS INDÍGENAS DO BRASIL,

00:40:29.470 --> 00:40:31.805
PUBLISHED IN 2022.

00:41:29.738 --> 00:41:33.659
She's preparing tapioca dough.

00:42:44.563 --> 00:42:47.441
Subtitles: Liliana Hage,
Roberta di Mattei & Sonia Mendes