Heitor dos Prazeres (1898, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil – 1966, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil) was a visual artist, costume designer, composer, and samba musician, widely recognized as a key figure in the cultural life of Rio de Janeiro during the first half of the 20th century. Born just ten years after the abolition of slavery in Brazil, he navigated shifting social hierarchies and engaged with a rich spectrum of artistic expressions. His vibrant visual work is marked by bold colors and a sharp, perceptive gaze, reflecting the eye of an artist who portrayed what he saw, felt, and lived as a Black man in Brazil. The artist gave great prominence to Brazilian Black culture through depictions of popular festivals, Afro-Brazilian religions, samba, and bohemian life. Thus, foregrounding the unavoidable political implications of discussions about urban life, social inequality, affection, and community.

A self-taught artist, Prazeres entered the artistic scene of Rio through music. By the mid-1930s, he also began to dedicate himself to painting, centering Brazilian popular culture as his main theme. By placing the realities of the Black population in the spotlight— amid the dominant and imposing values of colonial whiteness — he challenged the hostile environment of the Rio elite. The details in his figures stemmed from close observation of the people around him, particularly residents of the area between Cidade Nova and the Port of Rio de Janeiro, known as Little Africa. The documentary nature of his work contributed to the recognition of this region as one of the most vibrant centers of Afro-diasporic creativity.

In 1951, he won 3rd place at the 1st Bienal de São Paulo with Moenda, now part of the MAC USP collection. In 1952, he participated in the Venice Biennale with Mercado and Batuque. He had a Special Room at the 2nd Bienal de São Paulo (1953–54), where he also created sets and costumes for the city’s 400th anniversary celebration’s ballet. He was featured in the Bienal de São Paulo of 1957, 1961, and 1979. In 1966, he represented Brazil at the First World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal. Exhibitions of his work took place in countries such as Argentina, England, France, and Germany. He had major retrospectives in 1999 (at Espaço BNDES and the MNBA) and in 2023 (at CCBB-RJ). His work was included in the 36^th Bienal de São Paulo in 2025.

Present in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art – MoMA, in New York since the 1940s, and is also in key institutional collections, including the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris; El Museo del Barrio in New York; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid; MAM Rio de Janeiro; Museu Afro Brasil Emanuel Araujo in São Paulo; Museu de Arte do Rio – MAR; Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand – MASP; MAM São Paulo ; Pinacoteca de São Paulo; and Fundação Casa Roberto Marinho in Rio de Janeiro, among others.