The braiding of the houses: a study on indigenous graphics applied to constructions in Guarani Mbya villages in the municipality of São Paulo

Abstract

This paper presents a survey of Guarani mbya graphic manifestations applied to constructions in villages in the city of São Paulo. It seeks to identify how the patterns traditionally used in the production of basketry (ajaka) are transposed to other supports, highlighting their relevance in the production of differentiation in the dialogue between the villages and their surroundings and the Guarani with the non-indigenous world. The survey, conducted in four villages in the municipality, sought to list procedural and formal aspects of such manifestations, revealing how the visual language traditionally used in handicrafts undergoes processes that reiterate the use of compositional variations and the relationships between the plastic and graphic elements.