Gil Vicente is a Brazilian artist whose brutal self-portrait series titled "Inimigos" (spanish for "Enemies") has stirred quite a fuss.

In his series which were on display at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial, Vicente has depicted himself in pre-assassination poses, ready to kill well-known world leaders such as Ariel Sharon, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and George W. Bush - just to name a few.

In the first piece of the series which was completed in 2005, Vicente emotionlessly holds a pistol to the temple of former president George W. Bush who is knelt helplessly on the floor with his hands bound behind him.
 

 
Prior to the showing of Vicente's series at the Sal Paulo Biennial, a well-known legal firm in Brazil pushed for his works to be removed from exhibit, where nearly 1 million visitors would see the display. Claiming his art would incite violence and that "freedom of expression has its limits", they led the growing controversy by pushing forward on a clearly political basis.

However, the event's organizers, The Bienal Foundation, refused to pull his works while citing art as freedom of speech, announcing "A fundamental quality of our institution is curatorial independence and freedom of expression."
 

The 9 works of "Inimigos"
 
As one can imagine, these images have caused some serious controversy in both the political landscape and the art world. Some have claimed it to be trash, while others have said it to be the ultimate form of expression. While the pieces are well done, they're also rather simple - which has caused even more arguments from naysayers such as "My kids could draw better pictures, this is pure garbage". Regardless, there is a lot to be said for the overall impact of Vicente's drawings, especially when considering the huge audience involved with the Biennal.

 

 
The works are raw, edgy, and moving. The nine life-sized drawings are composed of charcoal on paper. The imagery needs no color or background detail to convey their powerful message.

 

Gil Vicente pictured in front of his display
 
Gil Vicente clearly has a deep and passionate motivation behind these pieces of art, which we'll see below. This alone makes his art as legitimate as any other artist.

In his own words, and in response to questions and curiosity about "Inmigos", Vicente stated:
 

“Because they kill so many other people, it would be a favor to kill them, understand? Why don't people in power and in the elite die?”

 
Vicente says that the drawings are a form of release, a way to "expel the rage I had inside me". He also, in a rather interesting fashion, claims "I don't understand art. And I don't read anything about art."
 

 
When questioned further, Vicente responded confidently in defense of his works, that:
 

"They claim it justifies crime. Stealing public money is not a crime? The reports on TV aren't trying to justify crimes? Only my work is justification of crime?

They want to remove them. No, no way. Why remove them? People need to see this."

 
I think one thing is clear. Gil Vicente is standing up for what he believes in. He is using his art as a tool to rid himself of the anger, and to speak to the world about a critical issue. Whether they like it or not, people are seeing it.
 

 
"Inmigos" has been valued collectively at $260,000 and are for sale as a series, not individually. What do you think about it?