Visual art

VÉXOA: WE KNOW (NÓS SABEMOS) Drawing on the work of 22 Indigenous artists from Brazil, this show, just opened at Tufts in Medford, offers a dynamically contemporary, activist-driven take on Brazilian aesthetics at a time when Indigenous Brazilians are struggling for self-determination and visibility as the country’s rich, life-cradling natural environment is under threat as never before. Through Dec. 10. Tufts University Art Galleries, Aidekman Arts Center, 40 Talbot Ave., Medford. 617-627-3518, Artgalleries.tufts.edu

HUMANE ECOLOGY: EIGHT POSITIONS An exhibition of eight artists with planet-saving concerns, “Humane Ecology”’s intended kindnesses stretch well past the merely environmental with a plea for the many millions of marginalized peoples caught in the planet’s death-spiraling consumption addiction. Christine Howard Sandoval, an enrolled member of the Chalon Nation, proposes Indigenous controlled burning techniques to counteract wildfires, while Korakrit Arunanondchai’s dreamy film piece imagines an interconnected web of life that still needs solid ground on which to stand. Through Oct. 29. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, theclark.edu

GIO SWABY: FRESH UP A quiltmaker with a thoroughly contemporary vision for the medium, Swaby, who is in her early 30s, makes portraits of the women in her immediate social circle with needle, thread, and fabric. With a gesture of tenderness and care, Swaby subverts the perception of the medium as utilitarian craft, imbuing it with deeply personal, emotional value and a desire to be seen on her own terms. Through Nov. 26. Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., Salem. 978-745-9500, www.pem.org MURRAY WHYTE

BAK LOOKS BACK: ARTIST CURATED COLLECTION: 19462023 The 90-year-old painter, born in Vilnius — then in Poland, now Lithuania — was imprisoned in a labor camp during the Holocaust. He and his mother escaped; his father was killed. This exhibition includes pieces Bak made in a displaced persons camp in Germany after the war, and follows his migration to Israel, Paris, Switzerland, and ultimately Boston. His mature work, deeply allegorical, examines good, evil, and the complexity of human nature. Through Dec. 3. Pucker Gallery, 240 Newbury St. 617-267-9473, www.puckergallery.com

CATE McQUAID