10 Questions with Fabio Augusto Alves
Fabio Alves is a Brazilian visual artist born in 1984, graduated in Psychology, and a person with a disability, a characteristic he likes to reinforce, as it influences his artistic production, his life, and his way of seeing the world.
His artistic journey began around 2017, when he started photographing São Paulo, primarily as a means to cope with urban stress, a harsh reality for people with disabilities due to the lack of accessibility in certain areas. This practice also sparked inner conversations, since he was studying Psychology at the time, though he only became aware of the social aspects of disability long after.
Being a self-taught artist, Fabio consumed a great deal of content, constantly seeking to improve his practice. He developed a taste for black-and-white photography, believing it allowed him to capture the true essence of his surroundings, what he saw as their most honest form.
Driven by curiosity and the desire to meet other artists with disabilities, he began his own research, discovering many names and even meeting some of them in person. This path led him to study the history of disability in the arts. Realising how poorly his community had been represented due to ableism, his main concern today is how to approach such subjects in a dignified and human way.
Even though his condition is not always visible in his nature or urban photography, he sees these images as records of the places he could step into, an artistic manifesto that testifies to his presence in the world and his desire to share his perspective, both literally and artistically.
Along his path, Fabio became interested in learning more about other artistic expressions, particularly those originating from São Paulo’s peripheries. As someone familiar with social erasure, he found a deep sense of connection and learning in this community of artists.
Recently, with a stronger self-image and greater awareness, he has turned his attention to the corporeality of people with disabilities, using his own body and experience, often through the medium of collage. He is currently developing a project that explores disabled women’s corporeality and self-image, embracing a process of growth and openness toward realities beyond his own, acknowledging that different groups may suffer for similar reasons.
Fabio Augusto Alves - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Fabio Alves’s work is a testament to his presence on this Earth, expressed in a socially aware and poetic manner. In a world that dictates who’s fit to create narratives or speak on social issues, Alves does both, as reflections frequently accompany his photography on the problems faced by his community or other marginalised groups.
Through black-and-white photography, he creates meditative images. Being a typical introvert, people are not always the subject of choice in his art. He creates silent, calm, and simple scenes, as modern life already has its share of urgency, nonstop movement, and concerns. This is an intentional direction, as he aims to create space for deep thinking about the topics in his art.
If Alves could leave a message for everyone who comes into contact with his art, it would be: how many more of us could create art and live happier lives if the world reflected its diversity?
Untitled, Digital Photography, 72x55 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
INTERVIEW
You originally studied Psychology before turning to art. How did that background influence the way you observe people, spaces, and emotions in your photography?
At this point, this is tattooed on my DNA. As an introvert and someone who understands certain aspects of life in the metropolis, especially due to disability, I want people to see my work as visual therapy against the virus of urgency, which spreads among us. Urban environments can be a torture device for many, so I feel the need to conjure silence, harmony, and peace among the concrete structures around me, an exercise for mental health. But not only that, I also use photography in a political sense. Themes of accessibility are integral to my work; my goal is to balance both rest and challenging subjects, seeking balance in what I produce.
Your journey as an artist began as a personal response to the urban stress of São Paulo, as you mention in your statement. What role did photography play in helping you navigate and reinterpret your environment?
In my personal experience, stress and anxiety made me disconnect from the world in a bad way, drowning me in negative feelings. Certain people could deal with such things in a more positive or resilient way, but to me, a person who also lives with an autoimmune disease, stress can have devastating outcomes. Photography came into my life as a response. A goodphoto demands focus, a connection with your subject, and concentration. Until today, going out to photograph the world is like merging with my surroundings; there's no stress or anxiety on those occasions. Photography gave me the chance to reinterpret my environment as I could find the spaces of tranquillity and silence I needed. It taught me even about myself. In 2019, I was struggling with my mental health. This led me to make a series of self-portraits. Remembering the experience, it was like looking at myself at the moment I needed it the most.
An Unstoppable Concrete Jungle 1, Digital Photography, 54x42 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
An Unstoppable Concrete Jungle 2, Digital Photography, 52x32 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
As a self-taught artist, what were some of the most meaningful discoveries or challenges you encountered while developing your artistic voice outside a formal academic path?
The discoveries emerged from a place of lonely doubts and fears, but also authenticity and recent validation, as I encountered the work of other artists with disabilities. This experience was crucial for me to see myself as an artist, a validation I wouldn't have experienced in most universities, as many of them still don't offer a broader perspective on the art created by socially marginalised groups. I can say the same about the art made by black artists or women. Every one of them, familiar with erasure and exclusion, taught me something. The bigger challenge is to gain recognition, because elitism often excludes us from the equation, dictating who's considered capable of the craft of creation, particularly when you don't have an art degree.
You often emphasise your disability as a defining part of your identity and artistic vision. How does it shape your way of seeing, creating, and engaging with the world around you?
This is the work of a lifetime! Growing up, like most in my community, I didn't have any role models or references to people like me who had happy lives, contributed to the community, etc. Therapy and my Psychology background were a turning point, and both helped a lot, but the contact with other fellow artists brought the necessary changes in the way I see myself. If I didn't have any of today's knowledge and feelings, disability could be just a detail in my body of work. Now, in my art, I use it as a device to name, touch, and explain life/social situations from my point of view. It makes me think about the importance of real inclusivity. How many others could join me and create art in a world more aware and concerned with everybody's needs? However, my work is not just about demanding, naming, and "fighting." There's something powerful in rest and stillness for marginalised bodies like mine. Our system demands nonstop work and unmatched resilience. The silence and peace in some of my images are a statement: the ones who came before me didn't always have the chance to rest; in memory of them and for me, I'll claim the possibility.
Life Drive, Digital Photography, 45x34 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
Your black-and-white photographs convey a sense of stillness and introspection amidst urban chaos. What draws you to this aesthetic, and what do you seek to reveal through it?
Being an introvert, lover of silence and introspection, I can remember several occasions in which my body responded badly to the urban space and its rhythm. If I go out with other photographers through São Paulo's urban landscapes, I'm automatically captured by the more silent, less crowded corners. Daily, I already meet lots of noise, urgency, and large crowds. My photography is the remedy for my... "urban intoxication." I want my work to reveal the ignored, silent beauty surrounding us, the kind you cross every single day and don't pay attention to. I want to reinforce: we see too much, we observe too little.
Your recent works explore the corporeality and self-image of people with disabilities, particularly women. What inspired this shift, and how do you approach representing other bodies and experiences with respect and empathy?
At this point, I took lots of photos of myself to talk about my relationship with my own body. This soothed years of trauma, low self-esteem, and pain. However, social groups are gigantic and diverse. Disability connects with gender, geographic space, social status, sexuality, and many other elements of our identities. For this reason, I would like to discuss it from other perspectives and realities. This requires lots of study, but the results are extremely rewarding. Art has a long history of portraying dissident bodies through the lens of the absurd, exotic, and inhumane. I avoid this by giving my subject a voice. In photoshoots, I believe in listening to others very carefully. When it comes to people with disabilities, this is about recognising self-agency too. "How do you want to be seen?" is my starting point for any photoshoot.
Instants Of Silence And Light 1, Digital Photography, 33x26 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
Instants Of Silence And Light 2, Digital Photography, 29x34 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
Accessibility and visibility are recurring ideas in your art. How do you think photography can contribute to breaking social barriers and reshaping how disability is perceived?
As I previously said, art has a long history of fetishising bodies that defy social standards. We have come a long way when it comes to representation. When I go out to photograph, every once in a while, I face certain looks from passersby.Amusement, surprise, curiosity. These are just some of the sensations I get from them. To most people who don't have contact with us, there's a huge gap regarding how to share space and navigate through reality with people like me. The social imaginary is a book with missing, ripped pages. We must put them back in place so people can see the bigger picture. It's challenging; we rely on perceptions shaped by history, and dismantling them requires time and considerable effort. Tact is also needed. When discussing my fights in the city, I often photograph the vegetation that grows amidst the concrete. I find it a perfect, beautiful way to mention my issues. In many ways, I feel like a plant growing over concrete, as cities don't seem to be designed with my body or needs in mind. As for accessibility, my photography is a testament to the places I could walk through. There's beauty in my work, but also a bitter taste, as I could do much more in accessible environments. And let's face it: the same areas that are impossible for me to cross will be impossible for others as they grow older, with mobility limitations brought by the ageing process. I don't claim accessibility just for my peers.
You've connected deeply with artists from São Paulo's peripheries, communities that often share experiences of erasure and resilience. How has this environment influenced your creative outlook and sense of belonging as an artist?
As someone with a more modest background and an art lover for as long as I can remember, the narrative of wealthier artists with great artistic studies deserves respect, but it's not my reality. Knowing that the art world has a place for creators like me was essential to embracing and fighting for an artistic career. The peripheries showed me people who create and make the most with their equipment and skills. Expensive cameras or tons of studies are nothing without a heart and sensitivity to create meaningful work.
What Silence Told To Me, Digital Photography, 45x34 cm, 2025 © Fabio Augusto Alves
Looking ahead, what projects or directions are you most excited to pursue in the coming years?
I want to explore other art techniques, like painting over photography. Artistic residencies would also be an amazingexperience if they come to fruition. By creating in the regions I live and walk through, I've learned to make the most of my surroundings as an artist, but I would love to explore different locations.
Lastly, what is the biggest goal you still hope to achieve, and how do you plan to reach it?
I want my message to be delivered to bigger audiences, maybe on a global level. I do believe there is an immense number of people like me, part of marginalised groups, who have the desire to make art and start important conversations. They need to know their voice and message are valid, but just like me, meeting my equals made this process much easier and lighter. I'm not sure if there's a recipe for achieving this goal of mine, but perhaps an international gallery might help. I'll continue to refine my craft, aiming for increasingly larger opportunities.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a curated promotional platform that offers artists the opportunity to articulate their vision and engage with our diverse international readership through insightful, published dialogues. Conducted by Mohamed Benhadj, founder and curator of Al-Tiba9, these interviews spotlight the artists’ creative journeys and introduce their work to the global contemporary art scene.
Through our extensive network of museums, galleries, art professionals, collectors, and art enthusiasts worldwide, Al-Tiba9 Interviews provides a meaningful stage for artists to expand their reach and strengthen their presence in the international art discourse.
