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Kuaray-u: The Sun-Eaters is a visual exploration of this enchantment. The title, derived from the Tupi-Guarani words for “Sun” and “to eat,” honors the fundamental miracle of trees: the ability to transform raw light into life. Through these black and white photographs, I invite the viewer to look past the botanical form and see the tree as a celestial consumer—a bridge between the earth and the sky.
I have been photographing trees and forests since first picking up a camera when I was eight years old. They have been a recurring theme in my work as a professional artist for over thirty years. In Portugal, my journey moved deeper into this work as I discovered the montados. These are not merely agricultural landscapes; they are magic forests living quietly alongside us. In our modern rush, we often fail to notice them. We have spent centuries stripping magic and enchantment from our lives, relegating wonder to the realm of childhood as if it were a phase to be outgrown. But isn’t our childhood what defines us?
By stripping away color, these images aim to move beyond the rational mind. Black and white photography bypasses the literal and enters the atmospheric, capturing the texture of bark, the tension of a branch, and the “food for thought” that the forest offers. These photographs are an invitation to re-enter a world where magic is not a fantasy, but a lens through which we view reality.
Life is better in an enchanted world. It took me a long time to find my way back to that place, to lower my defenses and let the trees guide me. This exhibition is a record of that return. If you allow them, the trees will help you find your way back, too.