“When We Cease To Understand The World (Grothendieck’s Ghost)”(2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 180 x 160 centimeters

Salgado’s work Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books embodies the idea that “we are what we read.” On his canvases, the lines between literature and painting blur—Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation becomes a languid portrait, while Véra Nabokov’s resilience is captured through brushstrokes and color.

“Véra (Please Come Over, You’re Always Welcome)” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 76 x 61 centimeters

This approach stems from Salgado’s fascination with “citation.” He admits to being deeply influenced by writers like Virginia Woolf and Jorge Luis Borges, who themselves drew inspiration from art. “Words and images can transform into each other,” he says. “Nabokov referenced over 150 paintings in his works—why can’t painting pay homage to literature?”

“The Last Evening On Earth” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 125 x 100 centimeters

Technically, Salgado favors layering oil paint and pastels. The irregular streaks and patches on his canvases give clothing or faces an unfinished, dynamic quality, like memories—hazy yet full of possibility. This openness is central to his vision: “Viewers are free to interpret. There are no wrong answers, whether you find meaning in books, paintings, or thoughts.”