Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato was a painter and sculptor known for a body of work that covered themes such as nature, urban landscapes, still lifes, portraits and scenes from everyday life. His output was vast, and it is estimated that he produced more than three thousand works by the end of his life in 1995. Among the major subjects in his work are the influence of decorative arts; the modern avant-garde, in which the constructive sense of his creations stands out and the relevance of walking in his painting practice.  

Lorenzato’s earliest known works date from the 1940s, period in which he returned to Brazil after having lived for around thirty years in different European cities. Born in Brazil from a working-class Italian family, Lorenzato became known as a self-taught painter, despite having studied art at the Reale Accademia delle Arti in Vincenza, Italy. He worked for decades in the construction industry as a wall painter and decorative painter, practice to which is attributed the origin of at least two innovative techniques he adopted: the use of textures, produced with the aid of various tools adapted from construction work that add movement and vibrancy to his compositions; and the use of mineral paints on the canvas, which he applied over a layer of alvaiade [lead-based white pigment], a substance generally used in exterior painting, which makes the colors look more vivid and luminous. 

Recent exhibitions of his work have paved the way to a renewed understanding of his career, allowing us to look at the artist’s production beyond strict categories such as “naïve art” and “primitive art”. Among the main exhibitions in Lorenzato’s career were his participation in the 3rd Bratislava Triennale and a group show at Petit Palais in Paris (1973); and his solo show at the Casa dos Contos in Belo Horizonte (1984). His posthumous exhibitions include: Lorenzato e as cores do cotidiano, Museu de Arte da Pampulha, Minas Gerais, Brasil (1995); 100 anos de Lorenzato, Casa dos Contos and Galeria da Escola Guignard, Minas Gerais, Brasil (2001) and the group show Mínimo Múltiplo Comum, Pinacoteca de São Paulo (2018). Recently, in 2019, exhibitions about the artist were organized by international galleries based in London and New York. 

Lorenzato’s works are part of important public collections such as the Museu de Arte da Pampulha, Brazil; MASP, Brazil; Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brazil; and the Nouveau Musée National, Monaco.