One Day : Rui Tenreiro - artist
Location : Stockholm, Sweden
Profession / passion : Artist
Website : www.rui.work
Instagram : @rui.tenreiro
One Day is an ongoing project sparked by the Covid-19. In the days of isolation we would like to focus on what we do best; bringing people together. Read more about the project here.
We will be posting one new day of someones life every day until we run out of contributors. See our instagram stories to experience these peoples One Day in action.
A text, song or film that everyone should experience :
(Text): Myth & Meaning, Claude Lévi-Strauss
(Song): Sengon, Diskjokke
(Film): Tampopo, Itami Jūzō
What is the story behind your profession/ passion?
I always liked aesthetics, so I decided to monetise it via art direction and drawing.
How do you want people to react to your work / passion?
I want them to appreciate it in silence and have an intimate moment. On the level of emotions, not logic.
How has the current situation affected how you work?
It’s all unfolding too quickly to know yet.
What is the most inspiring text you read recently?
A transcribed speech by writer Mia Couto.
Your greatest achievement?
Living from my work and publishing several books. (And no, friends and family aren’t an “achievement”)
Define what beauty means to you.
Beauty is the bridging line between an object or person, and our emotions.
Function or form?
They’re in symbiosis. But function imo is long-lasting.
Analog or digital?
The form of analog with the function of digital.
Describe a smell that brings back memories to you.
Freshly-cut grass.
Your best trait?
Besides nice legs? Empathy & open-mindedness.
What traits do you treasure in other people?
Kindness, empathy, compassion.
Your most treasured possession?
My wine bottle collection.
What was the most defining moment in your life?
Moving away from home to study.
Quality or quantity?
Quality of course.
Who do you miss?
Too many to name.
How was your spiritual and religious upbringing and how did it shape you?
Marxism-Leninism. We didn’t have that.
When was the last time you learned something new and what was it?
There are only a few people in your life who will TRULY help you forward, sometimes you don’t see it while it’s happening.
Have you actively chosen to live in the city/town you live in?
Yes.
How do you relax?
Have a drink & play boardgames with friends.
If you were forced to sit still for one month straight without pursuing your current profession, how would you spend your time?
Researching my hometown’s toponymy.
Live in the same house or move to a different country every month or for the next ten years?
SAME HOUSE!
What does freedom mean to you?
Being able to say no, being able to say yes.
Do you have any regrets in life?
Wish I’d realized earlier how much I like having an active lifestyle.
Do you identify yourself with any historical figures?
Bayard Rustin, Claude Lévi-Strauss.
Should calm come from within or be facilitated by the environment?
Environment. People put too much responsibility on themselves already. We all have to help each other feeling good within ourselves.
Marcel Proust said nothing exists within itself. Are we brought to life by way of contrast?
I think some people are brought to life by belonging to a group, and as we move away from home, it is to find the group where we don’t stand out too much.
Lastly, how do wish to see this current situation have a positive impact on our lives?
I’d like to see a new sort of “United Nations” of all countries coming together to sort out the economic impact this virus has had. Some companies shouldn’t be bailed out, just as some companies won’t bail out my business if I go bankrupt. Last but not least — universal basic income for 5 years.
I hope that people will see that the value of the markets is based on people’s labour, and that when everyone stopped working things came crashing down.