ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Rubem Valentim's Afro-Brazilian Legacy Reclaimed in São Paulo Exhibitions

exhibition · 2026-04-23

In São Paulo, two exhibitions are reexamining the work of Bahian artist Rubem Valentim (1922-1991), pushing back against narrow interpretations of his art as solely constructive or mystical. The shows, 'Rubem Valentim: Construções Afro-Atlânticas' at MASP (November 14, 2018 - March 10, 2019) and 'Rubem Valentim: Construção e Fé' at Caixa Cultural (October 7 - December 6, 2018), offer a blended perspective on his artistic approach. Curators Fernando Oliva and Marcus Lontra highlight the art market's tendency to limit Valentim's recognition to the Rio-São Paulo narrative, overlooking the significance of Candomblé and Afro-Brazilian heritage. The MASP exhibition showcases 80 paintings and 12 sculptures, while Caixa Cultural features approximately 60 paintings and one sculpture. Valentim’s 1976 piece, 'Manifesto Ainda que Tardio,' underscored his connections to Afro-Brazilian culture, making this reassessment particularly relevant in today's political context in Brazil.

Key facts

  • Rubem Valentim (1922-1991) was a Bahian painter, sculptor, and printmaker.
  • Two major exhibitions of his work were held simultaneously in São Paulo in late 2018/early 2019.
  • The MASP exhibition 'Rubem Valentim: Construções Afro-Atlânticas' ran from November 14, 2018, to March 10, 2019.
  • The Caixa Cultural exhibition 'Rubem Valentim: Construção e Fé' ran from October 7 to December 6, 2018.
  • Curators Fernando Oliva and Marcus Lontra critique the art historical framing of Valentim as merely a constructive artist.
  • Valentim's work is deeply informed by symbols from Candomblé and Umbanda, such as the arrow of Oxóssi and axe of Xangô.
  • In his 1976 manifesto, Valentim stated his art emerged from Afro-Brazilian cultural values and sought a universal language with Brazilian character.
  • The reappraisal of his work is linked by curators to contemporary Brazilian politics and violence against Black communities.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • MASP
  • Caixa Cultural São Paulo
  • Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
  • Galeria Galatea Salvador
  • Nara Roesler
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
  • Movimento Grevista Negro
  • Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
  • Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo (Funcultura)
  • Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
  • Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
  • Midiateca Capixaba
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • Capela João de Camargo
  • Clube 28 de Setembro
  • CAIXA Cultural
  • Phi Projetos
  • Cinnamon
  • Governo do Brasil
  • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
  • Ateliê Marlene Barros
  • Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
  • Universidade de Aveiro
  • Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
  • El Espacio 23
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • FAMA Museu
  • 10×10 Photobooks
  • IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles
  • Biblioteca de Fotografia
  • Getty Research Institute
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Rijksmuseum
  • New York Public Library
  • Paris Photo
  • Livraria da Travessa
  • Simões de Assis
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NND|Azeco
  • NONADA SP
  • DAN Galeria
  • SP-Arte
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Projeto 280X1020
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
  • Lei Rouanet
  • banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • BBM-USP
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Império Russo
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
  • Coleção Cyrillo Hercules Florence
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Pina Luz
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
  • PGHEA-MAC/USP

Locations

  • São Paulo
  • Brazil
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Brasília
  • Espírito Santo
  • Vitória
  • Sorocaba
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • La Puntana
  • Argentina
  • Gran Chaco
  • Paraguai
  • Miami
  • United States
  • EUA
  • Itu
  • Nova York
  • Los Angeles
  • Madri
  • Spain
  • Amsterdã
  • Netherlands
  • Recife
  • Pernambuco
  • Olinda
  • Zona Leste paulistana
  • Jardim Paulista
  • Vila Nova Conceição
  • Centro
  • Alto de Pinheiros
  • Cidade Universitária
  • Porto Feliz
  • Mato Grosso
  • Grão-Pará
  • Amazônia
  • Pantanal
  • Avenida Paulista
  • Praça da Sé
  • Praça da Liberdade
  • Rua Chile
  • Av. Jerônimo Monteiro
  • R. Barão de Piratininga
  • Alameda Lorena
  • Rua Domingos Fernandes
  • Praça da Bandeira
  • Rua Estados Unidos
  • Av. Prof. Fonseca Rodrigues
  • Rua da Biblioteca
  • Avenida Europa
  • Rua Mourato Coelho
  • Vila Madalena
  • Rua Anunze
  • Boaçava
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • Rio Grande do Sul
  • RS
  • Praça da Luz
  • Bom Retiro
  • Rua Dr. Plínio Barreto
  • Bela Vista
  • Tietê
  • Amazonas
  • Ilha de Itaparica
  • Recôncavo Baiano
  • Algarve
  • Portugal
  • Fortaleza
  • Ceará
  • Tóquio
  • Japan
  • Mumbai
  • India
  • Pequim
  • China
  • Jacarta
  • Indonesia
  • Switzerland

Sources

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