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Zitto Bedat in Spotlight: Book Sculptures

By Frank Cherry

Last year’s selection of Zitto Bedat’s collection of “books-as-objects” by the FURNAS Cultural Space for a showing in their Art Gallery in Rio de Janeiro prompts this review of the prolific production of this multi-facetted Brazilian artisan’s work as a plastic artist. We will return to this exposition later in the article.

Born in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1970, Jose Lorencio Ramos Filho is known in the milieu of theatre and arts as Zitto Bedat. His versatility can be seen in his work as set designer, costume designer, and stage prop designer for theatrical productions, art shows, and gallery expositions.

As set designer he worked on plays such as “Quijote, The Crazy Nobleman” and “ Wozzeck”; and on short films like “Na Mae” and fashion shows such as “FASHION RIO 2004”.

As stage prop designer he did the work for “Richard III”, the opera “Electra”, and many others.

And he was costume designer for plays such as “Better to Fix than to Tell how to Fix”, and “A Real Crazy Love”.

Zitto’s work has been honored in many expositions such as:

Hommage to Santos Dumont, caricatures, 1993.

Music Everywhere, a tribute to Chico Buarque, 1994, at the Fine Arts Museum.

Ceramigos, Art in Clay, 2003, Johrei Center, Botafogo.

Earth Workshop, exposition of ceramics, State University of Rio de Janeiro, 2004.

Book Sculptures, paper fold and paste, FURNAS Cultural Center, 2006.

From the above it is clear that Zitto works at a high level in a number of media: clay, paper, ceramics, drawings, and others.

Throughout his career he has been awarded grants to teach others and to further his own work. In 2003 he received a grant to teach and run the arts and crafts workshops at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. He provided leadership for the project called “Immediate Contacts” which was co-sponsored by IBM and the Consulate of the Netherlands.

He received awards for Best Set Designer in the Sketch Festival of the Faria Lima Theater and for the Eighth Program of RIOARTE. for his work Book Sculptures.

As a scholarship student at the State University of Rio de Janeiro and the Martins Pena Theatrical School, he was the Art Director for the play “The Interrogation” by Peter Weiss and set designer for another play, “Absence”.

Zitto’s exposition Book Sculptures appeared at the FURNAS Cultural Center in Rio last year.

In an article called “Cut and Fold”, the art critic Fernanda Pequeno reported that Zitto, by using the technique of cut/fold/package/paste, manages to rearticulate our view of books by infusing them with new, artistic information. Transformed by Zitto with bindings and color, books are no longer objects to be read, but works of art to be seen and interpreted.

By taking books out of their traditional context, Zitto makes one think of Marcel Duchamp with his “ready mades” and other artists of the Russian vanguard.

Zitto’s exposition was a popular and critical success.

The artist can be reached at bedat@oi.com.br or by phone (21) 9264-2534 or 3847-5042.