Internationally known as the most important Brazilian woodcut artist, J Borges bench poetry woodcuts were exhibited in France, USA, Mexico, Japan and by Smithsonian, amongst others. His work includes the calendar of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

José Francisco Borges (J Borges) was born in 1935 in Bezerros city, in the Brazilian northeast state of Pernambuco.
He spent a short time at the primary school and in 1956 started to sell Cordel’s literature (also known as bench poetry or folk poetry pamphlets*) in open fairs around Pernambuco.  Soon he was creating his own bench pieces of poetry. J Borges first pamphlet told the story of a Brazilian cowboy (vaqueiro) and a lady he fancied (donzela).

After a while, he introduced the wood cut technique to illustrate the covers of his own pamphlets. 

Jota Borges became internationally known and is, without a doubt, the most important Brazilian wood cut artist of all times.  Exhibitions include Grand Palais, Paris (1987); Smithsonian and Japan in the 1990s and turn of the century; and various other countries such as USA, Swiss, Germany, Mexico and Venezuela.

In 1970 he wrote `The Fair`, a text for the show and record of renowned Brazilian music group Quinteto Violado.
In 1994 he was a wood cut lecturer guest at the University of New Mexico.  Also in 1994, Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano launched the book Walking Words, illustrated with dozens of J Borge’s works.

Before bringing the bench poetry to his life J Borges worked as a goatherd; carpenter; stonemason; shop assistant; potter; and made wooden spoons and toys.  In 1975 he created wood cuts for Roque Santeiro, by author Dias Gomes and one of the most acclaimed soap operas of all times. 

J Borges most important works are: O Exemplo da Mulher que Vendeu o Cabelo e foi para o Inferno" (The example of the woman who sold her hair and went to hell) (1967) and "Domiciana e Rosete" (1968).  He is an active artist and still creates a great number of Cordel’s related literature and art.

(*) The Cordel literature, music and art

These works from wood cut are part of and are inspired by the Cordel poetry (bench poetry), music and literature. Cordel was the name given by the `intelligentsia` and media through the time. Their creators, consumers and characters refer to Cordel as leaflet-books or pamphlets. In either way it refers to verses created by folk poets telling the daily life and story of the people and heroes inhabiting the Northeast Brazilian Region, which comprises 1,561,177.8 km2.  Among their recurrent themes are the stories of the late Brazilian hero Lampião (portrayed abroad as the Brazilian Robin Hood).

The folk poets and singers (called in Brazil all together ‘cantadores’, from the verb ‘cantar’ = to sing) recited their verses on the streets accompanied by a guitar as a form of publicising and selling their pamphlets. They also improvise the verses as they perform. It is common to do so also as a duet, jousting to tell the story best. It also happens that the theme might be given by the passer by and the verses and performance created on the spur of the moment.

This form of literature and publication (ordinarily printed in leaflet-books or pamphlets) became more popular back 100 years ago through poet and singer Silvino Pirauá de Lima and later by duo Leandro Gomes de Barros and Francisco das Chagas Batista. The artists and poets would travel to farms, villages and small cities throughout the Northeast Brazilian countryside to sell their works. With the advent of printing industry, they could stay in one place and the pamphlets would be sold by contracted sellers.

According to Ariano Suassuna, writer, poet and a leading figure in the literature, culture and art of Pernambuco State, the Brazilian Cordel could be divided in the following cycles: the heroic, the wonderful, the religious or moral, the satiric and historic.

The Cordel woodcut works usually illustrate these pamphlets and became themselves another form of art complementing the range of poetry, literature and music involving the Cordel art in Brazil.

The minstrel’s competition was common during the XIII century in the Portuguese court and has its origin in the Greece of Homer. The Cordel was cast in the wake of this medieval culture brought to Brazil by the Portuguese conquerors.

The songs of black humour mocking couched in medieval lyricism are vividly present in the Cordel. It can also be seen in the edicts of Gil Vicente. This archaic tradition remained subjacent to the Brazilian oral culture.

This medieval vein is fundamental in the development of Brazilian popular art and culture, giving it a very personal touch within South American folk art scenario. Through its archaic inheritance but constant revitalisation, Brazilian folk-popular artists inserted a modern and contemporary character to this form of art.  Roberto Rugiero, Galeria Brasiliana.

How to purchase Jota Borges’ Cordel woodcuts

• The works presented in this web site are part of a selection on sale with a special discounted price. Therefore, this is a great opportunity for art investors.

• To order, please contact us with the name of the work you are interested in and your contact details – name, email address and telephone numbers are essential.

• We will go back to you in maximum 2 working days with price and purchase conditions.

• The works are readily available for delivery and will take no more than 4 weeks to reach you after payment is cleared.

Please note

• These works have the potential of being sold very rapidly.
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