Vento Vermelho 

Editor: Here we have Manabu Mabe's *Vento Vermelho,* rendered with acrylic paint. Looking at it, I’m immediately struck by the contrast. There's this enormous, flat, vibrant red field juxtaposed against what seems to be a more turbulent landscape of darker hues. It’s quite a dramatic pairing. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s true, the raw intensity of color is undeniable. I see the primal forces of nature invoked, like the red wind the title suggests. Notice how the symbolic weight of color plays out: red often embodies passion, vitality, even danger, in many cultures. And doesn’t that swirling form call to mind images of destruction, perhaps volcanic eruption or untamed fire? Editor: Yes, I definitely see that potential for destruction. Is there a significance to how Mabe has used these colours and forms? Curator: Mabe was a Japanese-Brazilian artist. Think about the symbolic meanings associated with those cultural backgrounds. In some Eastern traditions, for example, the color red can symbolize good fortune or celebration. Perhaps this painting expresses not just raw power, but a cyclical renewal, a transformation after chaos? Look how a bright moon watches over the scene as a witness. What feelings does that evoke in you? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t thought about the possibility of renewal. It makes the small moon in the corner feel a bit more hopeful, rather than just a passive observer. Curator: The juxtaposition offers multiple entry points. Perhaps it’s the artist wrestling with duality—creation and destruction, East and West, tradition and modernity. Editor: So, what I’m taking away is that a deeper understanding of the symbolic language that Mabe employed can unlock richer layers of interpretation beyond that initial gut reaction. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us that art, like memory, speaks in a language beyond the immediately visible.