The Chaves Municipal Library hosted, on November 3rd, the inauguration of the exhibition "O TIKI", by artist Jorge dos Reis Espanha. The event was attended by the Vice-President of the Chaves Municipal Council, Tiago Caldas.
Part of the "Os Nossos Artistas" (Our Artists) series, the exhibition features over 20 contemporary steel sculptures, some displayed for the first time, which reinterpret the traditional tikis of Polynesian culture, typically carved from wood or stone.
Tiago Caldas highlighted the initiative's importance for the municipality's cultural dynamism, noting the series' trajectory since 2022, now reaching its 49th exhibition with over 30,000 visitors. The Vice-President also emphasized the connection between Jorge dos Reis Espanha's work and Chaves' industrial identity, through the use of steel and the valorization of the region's metalworking tradition.
The artist offers a personal artistic approach that blends ancestral Polynesian cultural references with a contemporary sculptural language. The inspiration arose during his stays in Tahiti and travels through French Polynesia, where he encountered the symbolism of tikis, figures associated with power, prosperity, and a protective, sacred dimension.
Jorge dos Reis Espanha, son of Portuguese immigrants, grew up in France and began his training in boilermaking at 14. After three decades in the petrochemical industry, he now dedicates himself to his artistic projects, merging the technical experience gained from working with steel with the cultural and symbolic references found on his travels.
The exhibition is on display at the Multipurpose Hall of the Municipal Library until November 30th, during the cultural facility's operating hours.
