Ismael Nery´s painting was influenced by the geometrical forms and intersection of perpendicular planes of Cubism. Themes explored also included expressionist and surrealistic elements. In this respect, he comes close to other Brazilian modernists: he absorbs, incorporates and digests European modernism into his work. Unlike his contemporaries, however, national themes or the pursuit of genuinely modern Brazilian art interested Nery less than philosophical, existential, and sentimental questions. His art deals with the intimate and the universal, even though he resorts to modernist procedures of his time in his output.

Stylized human figures are a recurring element in his paintings. His characters are elongated, cylindrical and oval, appearing in dreamlike environments, unrecognizable spaces removed from the present immediate reality. Over time, the artist shifted from a sepia palette to brighter colors. Duality is a central theme across his production, exploring concepts such as the feminine and the masculine, the sacred and the profane, eroticism, life, and death. In his later works, dating back to the 1930s, metaphysical painting converged with his personal experiences of illness, solidifying his status as a singular artist with a universal vision that transcended the constraints of his era.

Although Nery participated in solo and group exhibitions during his lifetime, his work only gained broader recognition in the 1960s. His relative obscurity can be attributed to several factors: the brevity of his life, his unconventional and somewhat esoteric personality, and his marginal position within Brazilian modernism. In the 1960s, Nery’s work returned to the art circuit, when his work was included in the galleries dedicated to Surrealism and Fantastic Art at the 8th Bienal de São Paulo (1965). The following year, the MAM Rio de Janeiro hosted the first retrospective of Nery’s work (1966), and he was later featured in the 10th Bienal de São Paulo (1969). More recently, the MAM São Paulo held a solo exhibition, Ismael Nery: Feminine and Masculine (2018).

Today, Nery’s work is gaining renewed critical attention, driven by historical reassessments of both Brazilian modernism and the evolution of Surrealism beyond its hegemonic centers. Recently, Nery’s work has been acquired by the MoMa, New York, and his work was featured in major international exhibitions, such as the most recent Venice Biennale (2024). His works are part of important institutional collections, such as: Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brazil; MAM São Paulo, Brazil; Museu de Arte Brasileira da FAAP, Brazil; Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP – MAC USP, Brazil; MAM Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Museu de Arte Murilo Mendes, Brazil; and others.