Almeida & Dale presents a century of work by Brazilian artists united in a shared imaginative spirit and a deep sense of mystery and strangeness, qualities that echo their engagement with Surrealism and other avantgarde movements. Highlights include works by Ismael Nery, such as drawings from the 1920s and early 1930s imbued with sexual ambiguity; and an emblematic painting of his late practice, when he captures the visceral expression of human bodies in torment,reflecting his own final years spent in a hospital. 

Ismael Nery
(1900 - 1934)

Maria Martins, declaring herself a sculptor “from the tropics,” often turned to Amazonian folklore and the flora and fauna of the region. Through such sources, Martins carried out symbolic explorations of physical and erotic desire as an unruly yet productive force with which she radically challenged the moral codes of her time.

Alex Červený’s contemporary compositions evoke Renaissance landscapes in which human figures twist and transmute, forming intricate visual narratives that reimagine the body in unexpected ways. His compositions layer symbols and references in Surrealist juxtapositions, creating a kaleidoscope of unexpected encounters. 

Tunga, a key figure in contemporary Brazilian art, is represented by deeply symbolic drawings and sculpture, consistent with the artist’s sexually charged exploration of corporeal and conceptual transformations.

Drawings by Tarsila do Amaral from her iconic Antropofágica phase feature dreamlike and magical interpretations of Brazilian landscapes, depicted in bloated forms. 

Further explorations of the natural world are brought forth through Hélio Melo and Ivan Campos’s allegorical landscapes, each articulating an urgent dialogue with the Amazon rainforest. Melo’s melancholic scenes convey an underlying tension, a forewarning of environmental and political fragility, while Campos depicts lush ecosystems brimming with life, reimagining the Amazon as an ecosystem that is both thriving and under threat.