Brazilian Artist Aun Helden’s Censored Photos Stamped on CZO T-Shirts

By Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Artist Aun Helden is known for her performances on the São Paulo underground scene and her subversive images on social media. Her art challenges binary patterns, heteronormativity, and reflects on new body shapes through custom skin prosthetics.

Attentive to her artistic expression, Cartel 011 invited the performer to an exclusive partnership with CZO Studio, the company’s line of multi-brand clothing.

To expand Aun’s message, the label produced a limited capsule collection with sixty t-shirts. Photos censored in the artist’s social media are featured on the four available models.

The partnership features two models in white and two in black, each with a 15-piece print run. According to the brand, the goal is to turn the t-shirts into a “moving canvas” for Aun’s art.

This was a spontaneous venture: Cristian Resende, CZO’s creative director, watched the artist perform at an electronic music event. For him, it was an “anguishingly beautiful” experience. “It causes discomfort, almost like a pagan ritual, exposing your anguish in front of everyone. We also wanted to show this discomfort in our pieces,” he said in the statement.

Aun Helden has drawn attention to publications such as Dazed, Harper’s Bazaar Brasil, and the Red Bull brand. Over 18,500 follow her publications on Instagram. She commented on the social network that this collection is a new avenue for her art, as her images only “existed” online.

The artist further said that creating diverse characters from herself has been incredible, transforming her own body into language – this is the reason for the use of prosthetics.

“I’ve been following the path of seeking matter, what the eyes can see and touch. Seeing all the images materialized in flesh and tissue was an important process,” she wrote.

On the CZO partnership, Helden also considers the concept of t-shirts as physical matter. “Will the picture on the piece be erased and censored just as it is on a social media platform?”, the artist wonders.

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The campaign was conducted by Aun Helden herself and photos signed by Rodrigo Maltchique. The release will take place in an event this Friday, June 14th, which will include a performance by the artist. Subsequently, three pieces of each model will be available on Cartel 011’s website. The remaining pieces can be found in the physical store, in the Pinheiros neighborhood, in São Paulo.

Cartel 011
The marketplace has existed in São Paulo for nine years and brings together fashion, gastronomy, design, and photography. In addition to the physical space, a multi-brand store, and a restaurant, the brand acts as a business platform. It promotes art, entertainment, and product release events.

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