Untitled 1973

This untitled drawing was made in 1973 by Jose Escada, during a time when Portugal was under authoritarian rule. The circular and maze-like pattern, rendered in stark black ink, evokes both a sense of confinement and a relentless, cyclical movement. The marks of the time are visible in the signature 'Escada 73.' Escada’s art existed under the repressive regime of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar whose policies stifled dissent and marginalized many, which profoundly shaped the artist's vision. I wonder if Escada was thinking about the psychological and emotional states of his fellow citizens, in a world that was, at the time, quite literally closing in on them. This piece reflects the tensions between public silence and internal turmoil, a visual echo of a society struggling against its constraints. It is in the drawing's complex, interwoven lines that we might find a mirror to the complex negotiation of identity.