Gustavo Nazareno, 'How to Grow a Flower from a Supernova’

Opera Gallery in Paris is pleased to present ‘How to Grow a Flower from a Supernova’, a solo exhibition of new paintings and charcoal drawings by Brazilian artist Gustavo Nazareno. On view from 24 June to 17 July 2026, the exhibition introduces a new body of work in which spiritual heritage, couture and celestial references intersect.

Referencing fables inspired by the pantheon of Orixás—a system of deities venerated in parts of Africa and Latin America—the series functions as an offering to Pombagira, a feminine entity within Candomblé, a religion Nazareno practices. Associated with beauty, seduction, autonomy and power, Pombagira serves as both subject and framework.

Amongst the new paintings there is Earth Before Jupiter Saves It from a Comet "I am creating a piece titled Earth Before Jupiter Saves It from a Comet, which acts as a metaphor for one of the central narratives of the exhibition: Pombogira. In Umbanda oral tradition, Pombogira is said to have seven husbands. I began thinking about the logic of a couture show, where there is traditionally a single bride, and imagined my own version with seven brides instead. In this scene, they are all running away. The idea of Jupiter saving the Earth from a comet becomes the governing metaphor of the work. Jupiter appears as a cosmic protective force, while the Earth stands for the earthly deities that orbit around it. Through this story, I am constructing a symbolic universe where celestial movement, Afro-Brazilian spirituality, and the drama of couture collapse into a single image", says the artist.