Rubem Valentim Brazilian, 1922-1991
Rubem Valentim (Brazil, 1922 – 1991), a pivotal figure in 20th-century Brazilian art, pioneered an innovative approach deeply rooted in Afro-Atlantic histories and sacred symbology. Brn in Salvador,
the city with the largest Black population outside the African continent, Valentim was immersed in the mystic symbolism of African religious traditions in Brazil, particularly Candomblé and Umbanda, which play a central role in his artistic symbolism. Referencing symbols linked to the orixás, central figures within the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé tradition, he explored curves and geometries as a means of examining balance, symmetry, and the relationships between pure and synthesized forms.
Valentim lived in Europe between 1963 and 1966 after receiving a travel award for his participation in the 11th Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna. His first solo exhibition outside Brazil – the first international solo show by a Black Brazilian artist – took place in 1965 at the headquarters of the Brazilian Embassy in Italy, the Palazzo Pamphilj. Valentim took part in major collective exhibitions, such as Venice Biennale (1962 and 2024); several editions of the Bienal de São Paulo (1955, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1996 e 2023); and the First World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal (1966). His work is part of major institutional collections in Brazil and abroad, such as Museu Afro Brasil Emanoel Araújo, Brazil; Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brazil; MAM Bahia, Brazil; MAM São Paulo, Brazil; MASP, Brazil; Centre Pompidou, France; Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, UAE; MoMA, USA; Galeria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna di Roma, Italy; among others.
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Emblema-85, 1985 -
Emblema-80, 1980
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Poetic Logotypes, 1973
