About Face

Early on, Paulo greatly admired the work of Brazilian born artist Emiliano Di Cavalcanti who was famous for painting peasants and suffering people through his illustration of oversized hands and feet. He was able to communicate strong feelings about a culture through his paintings which used simple colors, depicting every day life and social settings in a non-romanticized way. Although Cavalcanti painted bodies and Paulo paints faces, he has always connected with his work. And as a result of this, Cavalcanti has remained an influence throughout Paulo’s life as an artist.

Paulo Knobel’s “About Face” collection is a blend of expressionism with figurative art via the use of bold colors.

Faces always tell a story. Rather than presenting perfect bodies or classic beauty, Paulo prefers to paint interesting, expressive faces which allows the viewer to look into the eyes of the subject and create their own stories. Having been born into a culture that celebrates diversity and all lifestyles, the spirit of his upbringing is reflected in his works, many of which are gender neutral. His hope is that the eyes and the expressions of the face will inspire each viewer’s imagination. Every piece is strong, commanding and powerful, evoking moods, emotions and maybe even some conversations.