Felipe Oliveira / INTERVIEW
The Felipe Oliveira case is one of the many LIVE has been closely watching for quite the years now; a post-modern style dictated by a persistently free spirit, dozens of more or less local appearances throughout the years, a constantly boiling Instagram feed and, from now on, the head of a project of his own: WorldXit, really the direct extension of his creativity and approach to daily life via original textile-based productions, but not just that. Indeed, right now, it is audiovisual matter Felipe is just about to drop, under the form of a new self-edited "web part" (as they say): "WORLDXIT PART 3", the receptacle of footage contributed by Converse Brazil camera maestro Guilherme Guimarães then reinterpreted by the skater himself, on LIVE as soon as tomorrow. To keep you waiting, in addition to reposting this other recent clip of Felipe, here are his answers to our questions that obviously raised themselves by themselves and he didn't sleep on as one more opportunity to express himself with enthusiasm - if not a certain urgency.
Ph.: Allan Carvalho
LIVE Skateboard Media: OK, Felipe, first, let's hear you explain what WorldXit is?
Felipe Oliveira: So, basically WorldXit is a project where I can apply my ideas and my life learnings about art, design and “fashion”. My older brother is one of the best designers I’ve ever met and, since I was a little kid, I’ve watched him work on his computer on many different tasks. So I brought these learnings into my artwork, and when I mix everything together comes out WorldXit - which can also be called as a upcycling brand based on second-hand and cheap clothing.
"I’d need several
interviews to explain
what Salvador
means to me"
LIVE Skateboard Media: You come from Salvador da Bahia. Could you describe it to the readers? They might be familiar with São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, from skate videos, but how different is your city?
Felipe Oliveira: Right now, I’m not living in Salvador. I moved to São Paulo to stay closer to Converse, film with Gui Guimarães and put my time and work on WorldXit. But honestly, I’d like to do all of it from back there [laughs]! I mean, I’d need several interviews to explain what Salvador means to me… But lately I’ve been studying a lot about the history of Brazil and you have to know, Salvador was its first capital. So, in my eyes, if we talk about Brasil, we have to talk about Salvador because it's where everything started. A lot of revolution comes out of there but it’s not always publicized, you know?
Ph.: Allan Carvalho
In the end, Salvador still has such little incentive on everything - from skateboarding to music and art - and for me that's not right. To me, things aren't synchronized the right way. Regardless, I’ll keep fighting and putting my city on the map, and bringing my friends to skate over there so they can see what I’m talking about with their own eyes.
"What’s always on my mind
is how news like these
impact a family
in the neighborhood
I am from"
LIVE Skateboard Media: How do you get exposed to skateboarding for the first time?
Felipe Oliveira: My older brother used to skate and for a while I used to join him on the sessions. I was like six years old. My family and I moved out of my old neighbourhood and my brother quit skating, but I started to push around the hood. I couldn’t ollie, so I just pushed around. Right after that, I was really into capoeira for over three years and during one of our presentations, I saw some dudes skating the streets. So then I picked up my board again, went out to skate with these guys and the rest is history.
"It’s amazing to find out
the similarities between
both activities, especially
about the usage of
public spaces"
LIVE Skateboard Media: The parallel with capoeira is interesting, would you say you saw connections between that art and skateboarding at the time, or to this day still maybe?
Felipe Oliveira: Yes. Today I can see this parallel, but when you’re a kid you just live the experience only to (sometimes) understand it later. Actually I’ve been studying a lot about capoeira lately and it’s amazing to find out the similarities between both activities, especially about the usage of public spaces and underlying political and social themes.
Ph.: Allan Carvalho
According to some law, capoeira was prohibited in Brazil for almost fifty years! And back in the late eighties, skateboarding was also prohibited in São Paulo. For me, that’s one of the main similarities. It’s really interesting to understand what a capoeirista had to go though during the colonial times and what we currently have to go through right now with this mess in our politics.
"The fury of being
young in Brazil and
completely blind
to the true story of
my own country"
LIVE Skateboard Media: One could imagine both are indeed based on body language and technique within open space. Would you say it influenced the way you looked at skateboarding?
Felipe Oliveira: Yes, I did influence me a lot, especially on learning how to fall [laughs]. I even realized today that I like to dress in the same clothing style used by capoeira de angola, which is one style that the Brazilian capoeira originated from.
"I like all types of skating
and I’m influenced by
many people, but
right now I’m trying
to find my own way"
LIVE Skateboard Media: You have a different approach to skateboarding, mixing many influences from many eras. I was wondering what skaters you were the most interested in at the moment?
Felipe Oliveira: I mean, I’ve always just liked to skate and try what I couldn’t do; like, defying myself. I’ve also wanted to try new things and get a little bit off the traditional path. I have to know the basics of everything, of course, but it’s still just an experimentation. I like all types of skating and I’m influenced by many people, but right now I’m trying to find my own way.
LIVE Skateboard Media: Can you describe the situation in Brazil at the moment? How does it affect life around you?
Felipe Oliveira: Thanks for this question. Like I’ve said before, I come from a poor neighbourhood out of Salvador so I feel I’ve already achieved some goals coming from what I am from. It was a war there and everything came about the “hard way”, let’s say. However, I feel like there’s an explicit fight going on against the poor people, homosexuals, transgenders and so on personified by this guy who is the current president in Brazil and who is bringing evil onto the masses.
For those who don’t know, Salvador is the biggest place with black population outside of Africa; so, imagine how this government is affecting my city and my entire country? Last year, a black customer was knocked out and beaten to death in a very famous supermarket, one day before the Black Consciousness Day which is November 20th in Brazil.
Ph.: Allan Carvalho
So, what’s always on my mind is how news like these impact a family in the neighborhood I am from. Obviously way harder than the way it reaches a rich family who lives in São Paulo…
"I’m really grateful
to see ghetto kids
being able to
access information
thanks to this tool"
LIVE Skateboard Media: In such times of troubled politics, where would you say the message of skateboarding lies? As a federative activity, bringing people together, can it be a social tool to empower individuals and crowds?
Felipe Oliveira: Today is easier to be included everywhere because of the Internet. I’m really grateful to see ghetto kids being able to access information thanks to this tool. It was very hard to be connected and accepted back in 2006 [laughs] just in terms of getting to know what things were about. And I also believe that skateboarding is the best way to transport you through the different layers of society; nowadays we can pop some bubbles which would be impossible for us to reach if it weren't for the Internet. The problem is that in Brazil, we have no governmental help for students and education - there’s no investment. When I was a kid, I had to walk forty minutes to get to school and sometimes I’d get there only to hear things I didn’t agree with. So…
LIVE Skateboard Media: So to wrap things up, what meaning do you really see in the art in your current political context?
Felipe Oliveira: Fury! The fury of being young in Brazil and completely blind to the true story of my own country. Brazil wasn’t discovered, it was already here. For me, it’s not rage, it’s actual fury that drives me with extreme and explosive force. It’s this feeling that I run on, fueling me doing my own thing.
LIVE Skateboard Media: Thank you so much for your precious time, Felipe! See you tomorrow for the online premiere of "WORLDXIT PART 3", on LIVE!
*
