Maria Auxiliadora da Silva
Chuva sobre Sao Paulo (Rain over Sao Paulo), 1971
Samba Spirit: Modern Afro Brazilian Art – MFA Boston For the first time in its history, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), presents a selection of works by 20th-century Brazilian artists of mostly African descent in Samba Spirit: Modern Afro Brazilian Art. January 18–October 19, 2014.]]>
Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The exhibition includes 15 paintings and one work on paper by key artists including Heitor dos Prazeres, Maria Auxiliadoro da Silva and Waldemiro de Deus, as well as two sculptures by Agnaldo Manoel Dos Santos. Rarely studied in the United States, these artists drew on a range of traditions and found inspiration in all aspects of Brazilian culture—religious rituals, urban and rural life, music and dance. Each has a distinct approach to subject, style and iconography, creating a lively range of imagery on view in the Bernard and Barbara Stern Shapiro Gallery. Comprising recent acquisitions from The John Axelrod Collection, the works date from the 1930s to the 1980s and will be accompanied by a map of Brazil and wall labels in both English and Portuguese. Sponsored by the Darwin Cordoba Fund for Latin American Art.
“So many aspects of Afro Brazilian culture are vividly presented by these artists in their choice of subject matter and style,” said Karen Quinn, Kristin and Roger Servison Curator of Paintings in the Art of the Americas Department at the MFA. “We see both the celebratory and somber, and even images that remain enigmatic.”
In the 19th century, Brazil had the largest population of African slaves in the Americas and was the last to abolish the institution in 1888. The pervasive impact of slavery on subsequent generations led one sociologist to write, “Every Brazilian, even the light-skinned fair-haired one, carries with him on his soul, when not on soul and body alike…the influence of the African, either direct or vague or remote.” The resulting blend of African, European and indigenous cultures can be seen throughout Brazil, from the world-famous choreography of the samba and the frevo to the practices associated with the Candomblé and Umbanda faiths. This influence extends to the visual arts as well, where the depiction of subjects and symbols related to the experiences of Afro Brazilians is prevalent.
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