Ivan Campos
Envisioning Forests
Ivan Campos (b. 1960, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) draws inspiration from the Amazon rainforest, where his connection to rivers, streams, and the spiritual energy of the forest finds form on canvas. His works depict a reimagined jungle, brimming with animals, plants, and abstract shapes that challenge classical landscape traditions. “I combine color and form; often color hides form and form hides color,” he explains, inviting viewers to explore his intricate layers of meaning.
The jungle in his paintings is densely populated with forms that challenge classical landscape structure, leaning towards abstraction. Campos’ works resonate as ethereal visions of an interconnected and complex ecosystem, both thriving and under threat.
“The universe of the forest is boundless, infinite for painting. Everything I see—a tiny insect, a flower, a tree, even the many shades of water the forest offers—provides me with inspiration. I never tire of the endless models that the forest brings.”
— Ivan Campos.
Photo: Dhárcules Pinheiro
Ivan Campos
Untitled, 1999
Acrylic on canvas
50 x 80 cm
19 ¾ x 31 ½ in
In 2024, Ivan Campos was selected for the 38th Panorama of Current Brazilian Art at the Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo and was featured in the Fullgás – Visual Arts and the 1980s in Brazil exhibition at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, celebrating the CCBB RJ’s 35th anniversary. In 2018, he received the honor of Knight of the Order of the Star of Acre for his contributions to the state’s development. In 2012, he participated in Trajetórias – Visual Arts, with an exhibition at the Chico Silva Gallery, Usina de Arte João Donato.
In 2005, he was awarded the gold medal at the 1st Hélio Melo Fine Arts Salon, held by the Acre Association of Plastic Artists (AAPA), for his work Alicerces da Terra, in the same year that two of his pieces were selected for Projéteis de Arte Contemporânea, part of the National Network of Visual Arts - Redemergências, organized by Funarte/RJ. His first solo exhibition took place in 2000 at the Galeria de Artes do Sesc in Rio Branco.
Rebanhos do céu, 2008. 38th Panorama of Brazilian Art: A Thousand Degrees, Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo – MAM SP, São Paulo
"In the work’s panoramic view, we see an intricate jungle, full of complexities, where everything is in motion. With few colors, in order to maintain an energetic cohesion, the artist does not fail to underline the blend, the mystique, the profound layers, and the confusion of scales and perspectives that compose an ecosystem."
— Germano Dushá, curator of the 38th edition of the Panorama of Brazilian Art
Untitled, n.d
Acrylic on canvas
90.0 x 70.5 cm
35 3/8 x 27 1/2 in
“I consider myself a child of nature. I was born here. It surrounds me, gives me energy, encourages me. It also gives me health... And to a certain extent, joy”.
— Ivan Campos
Untitled, c. 2021
Acrylic on canvas
77 x 43 cm
30 1/4 x 16 7/8 in
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibition
2000
Ao império das cores, Galeria de Artes do Sesc-Acre, Rio Branco
Untitled, 2008. “Fullgás – visual arts and the 1980s in Brazil”, Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), Rio de Janeiro, 2024. Photo: Rafael Salim
Group shows
Selected group shows
2024
38th Panorama of Brazilian Art: A Thousand Degrees, São Paulo Museum of Modern Art – MAM SP, São Paulo
Fullgás, Banco do Brasil Cultural Center, Rio de Janeiro
2012
Trajectories – Visual Arts, Chico da Silva Gallery – João Donato Art Factory, Rio Branco
2008
3rd Hélio Melo Visual Arts Salon, Juvenal Antunes Gallery, Rio Branco
2006
1st Hélio Melo Visual Arts Salon, Tentamen Recreational Society, Rio Branco
2005
Projectiles: Redemergencies, Gustavo Capanema Palace, Rio de Janeiro
Collections
Legislative Assembly of the State of Acre, Rio Branco
Elias Mansour Foundation, Rio Branco
Museum of the People of Acre, Rio Branco
Environmental Institute of Acre, Rio Branco
City Hall of Rio Branco, Rio Branco
About the artist:
Ivan Campos is the son of radio broadcaster Cícero Moreira and Gercina Braga Campos, an embroiderer and state employee. As a child, he spent an extended period hospitalized for tetanus treatment, during which his mother would give him small drawings on scraps of paper each day. Campos kept them all and, upon recovery, began drawing plant and human figures as models for Gercina’s embroidery. In his childhood, he also collected comic books, using their images as references.
With these materials—scraps of paper and low-cost comics—Campos learned to draw as a self-taught artist. His painting work developed later, marked by meticulous formalization that reflects his formative years in drawing.
Photo: Dhárcules Pinheiro
Works
Untitled, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
61.5 x 49.5 cm
24 1/4 x 19 1/2 in
Untitled, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
93.5 x 75.0 cm
36 3/4 x 29 1/2 in
Untitled, c. 2021
Acrylic on canvas
77 x 43 cm
30 1/4 x 16 7/8 in
Untitled, n.d
Acrylic on canvas
90.0 x 70.5 cm
35 3/8 x 27 1/2 in
Ivan Campos
Untitled, 1999
Acrylic on canvas
50 x 80 cm
19 ¾ x 31 ½ in
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