Douglas Knesse
- May 5
- 4 min read
Douglas Knesse is a painter based in Rio de Janeiro. He works on a large scale, often on reclaimed truck tarpaulins he picks up from drivers on the street. His palette is loud, from a childhood spent around surf and skate. He also does jiu-jitsu, and it gets into how he moves when he paints.
We talked about how Rio gets into the work, what the tarpaulins give him as a surface, and a coming group show in Miami with OPA.
Q: You're self-taught and based in Rio. How did painting start for you?
A: Art entered my life in a very natural and intuitive way. It came almost like a revelation, something greater than myself. From the beginning, I realized it was becoming a tool for communication, both with the world around me and with my inner self. Today, I see art as a kind of remedy, something that heals, cleanses, and transforms.
Q: You paint on reclaimed truck tarpaulins. How did you find that material, and what does it give you?
A: Like many things in my life, the tarpaulins arrived spontaneously. One day on the street, I came across a huge truck covered with a tarp and fell in love with it instantly. The driver wanted to give it to me because it was so worn out. From that moment, we built a friendship, and I began rescuing these materials that would otherwise be discarded. They already carry their own history: sunburn marks, tears, oil stains, dust from highways that cross the country. Painting on them feels less like starting something and more like continuing a narrative. They resist in a productive way, demanding decisions. They give weight to gestures and bring a sense of resilience, as if nothing is lost, only transformed.
Q: Your palette is very vibrant, with roots in surf and skate culture. How aware are you of that when you're painting?
A: I was born into a family of surfers, very connected to sports. Since the beginning of my painting practice, I've carried references from that world: surf brands, skate shapes, bold patterns and colors. My palette comes from this environment I grew up in. And Rio de Janeiro itself has a very strong, vibrant color.
Q: You reference Abstract Expressionism but you live between the ocean and the Atlantic Forest. How does Rio get into the work?
A: Rio is unavoidable. The city functions like a pressure system: the ocean on one side, the forest advancing on the other, and concrete trying to hold it all together. This tension turns into rhythm, compression, and release. Bursts of color appear, followed by areas that feel almost eroded. It's a direct reflection of the landscape. Nothing is completely stable, and that's exactly what makes it so intense and captivating.
Q: You talk about chaos and order as a duality. Which side do you start from?
A: It's hard to define a starting point. When I begin a work, I'm more interested in learning from it. Emotions reveal themselves throughout the process. In the end, I see it as a search for balance between opposites, an attempt to find a place of peace within that movement.
Q: Faith and spirituality come up throughout your work. How does that show up in the studio day to day?
A: There's a phrase that stays with me: "Faith without works is dead." It's a constant principle in the studio. I've always been fascinated by seeing things move, take shape. Faith pushes me to keep going, to expand my limits, not only as an artist but as a person. It's a continuous exercise in growth.
Q: You've done a residency in Cape Town and shown in LA and Helsinki. Does the work change when it leaves Brazil?
A: When the work leaves Brazil, it gains new ways of being seen. People from different cultures absorb it differently, and that's one of the most beautiful aspects of art, its ability to cross borders. I believe my work creates a space where each person can build their own interpretation through their experience, while the essence remains the same.
Q: You work on a very large scale. What does that size demand of you physically?
A: I love working on a large scale. That's where I feel most at home. Because I'm so connected to sports, painting also becomes a physical exercise. I enjoy exploring wide movements with intensity and strength, but also with precision and balance. Jiu-jitsu, which I've practiced my whole life, has taught me how to use my body to my advantage, and that directly reflects in my process.
Q: You have a group show coming up in Miami, your first time showing there. How are you preparing, and what can we expect?
A: I see Miami as a place that, in some ways, resonates with Rio. Of course, the cultures are different, but there are points of connection: the beach, the sun, the nightlife. The work I've prepared for this exhibition fits naturally into that environment. Vibrant colors, intense marks, and tropical symbols move through both the landscape and the feeling. I'm excited about this partnership with OPA.
Q: After Miami, where do you see things going?
A: After Miami, I'll be heading to a residency in Athens, invited by Zoumboulakis Gallery. It's a place I'm very curious to experience and explore. I believe my research will strongly connect with that context. In the end, I see art as communication, movement, and connection. A way of sharing lived experiences and emotions with people who resonate with them, creating bridges.
