Three unrepresented artists in São Paulo you must know

São Paulo, which recently celebrated its 471st anniversary, is Brazil’s most important city for art. It is comparable to cities like London, New York, and Paris in terms of the vibrancy of its art life – its museums, studios, galleries, and institutions. Some local top museums, e.g. Pinacoteca and Masp, have or are about to open new spaces, confirming the strength of the art institutions.

We present a few of the superb artists who live and create here, home to over 11 million people. We selected three unrepresented artists, meaning they are not currently represented by any galleries in the city. Some compare having representation to marriage, so sometimes it takes time for someone to find the right fit. They are Giulia Bianchi, Manoel Veiga, and Marina Rodrigues, presented alphabetically. None of them was born in São Paulo, which is significant as the city attracts many people from all over the country.

Giulia Bianchi (1990), who recently returned from an artist residency in Paradiesli, in snowy Switzerland, creates paintings and drawings in which one can see abstraction or still lifes, at the same time, or alternately. For her, cultural exchange is crucial, as food – which she often represents – is not purely biological or natural. It also relies on cultural and societal aspects. According to her, she aims to access what is not visible in the food.

Her works get too close to the portrayed objects so that they evoke textures, aromas and flavours. They give the objects a ‘soul,’ thus questioning the separation of object and subject prevailing in the modern world, which is underpinned on science.

Bianchi holds a degree in fine arts from Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (locally, FAAP). In 2023, she created 60 artworks in pastel on paper or oil on canvas to illustrate the book ‘Bliss,’ by New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield, published by Antofágica, a Brazilian publishing house. You can find it in bookstores.

Manoel Veiga (1966) has a background in physics and engineering. He quit his original career and after that became an artist. As an artist, he is self-taught, which means he did not attend art schools but has learned directly from other artists or teachers, from attending exhibits, and from his studio practice (in fact all artists learn from these later three ways). He was born in Recife, in Northwestern Brazil, and moved to São Paulo decades ago. He is represented by a gallery in Stuttgart, Germany and another in Rio.

He deals with both photography and painting. In his works, art and science are interconnected. In many of his works, photography and painting are connected. For example, one of his series of works, ‘Dark Matter,’ departs from Caravaggio’s paintings photos and, after the removal of the body parts, the image is printed on canvas. In Veiga’s words, these works activate the ‘“void,” the gap between characters, objects and architecture.’ His works in general are concerned with space and time.

In his paintings, he deals with natural phenomena, not usually with brushes. He uses diffusion, gravity, and capillarity to create these works. Veiga’s scientific knowledge allows him to manage and guide the flow of the paint he places on the canvas. However, there is still randomness, as it is impossible to have all under control. The result is colourful paintings that let us think about the cosmos, space and the representation in art.

Marina Rodrigues (1988) lives and works in downtown São Paulo, a location that plays a crucial role in her artistic research, as her works delve into the city. Her gaze is attracted not only to the buildings but also to the people living and working around her place and her studio.

Part of the materials she uses in her works come from scrap yards. They are preexisting pieces of metal. These pieces as well as concrete and sheets of glass are usually the materials of her sculptures or installations. The works ‘depart from the landscape of the cities in which we live and make us think about solidity and lightness, and density and fragility,’ as I have written elsewhere. They show the passage of time, as especially the iron parts are subject to the gradual change of their colours.

She also paints. Though, not with the traditional paint, brush and linen canvas. For instance, in the series ‘Parallel Identities,’ she adds tape to iron sheets, thus creating abstract images that can remit to the urban landscape.

In sum, these artists develop, each in a different research trend, new approaches to art. In solid and bold works, they inquire about space, time, city, food, culture, science and art-related problems, such as representation and abstraction. They have exhibited largely, individually or collectively, and have long CVs. They develop their artistic research not only in the confines of their studios but also far beyond them. You can contact us to learn more about these artists and their work. We will be happy to assist you.

Luis Sandes for London Art Walk
January 2025