Antonio Dias and Mario Cravo Jr. Die on August 1, Galeria Paulo Darzé Mourns Loss of Represented Artists

Artists Antonio Dias and Mario Cravo Jr. both died on August 1, the same day as Eleonore Koch. Thais Darzé, director of Paulo Darzé Galeria in Salvador, described Dias as serene and balanced, while Cravo Jr. embodied force and movement. Both northeastern Brazilian artists—Dias from Campina Grande, Paraíba, and Cravo Jr. from Salvador, Bahia—were represented by the gallery. Paulo Darzé met Cravo Jr. shortly after opening his namesake gallery in 1983, with the sculptor's representation lending significant credibility to the new venture. Dias began exhibiting with the gallery five years later, helping expand its horizons beyond Bahian artists. Thais Darzé, who knew both artists since childhood, noted their contrasting energies. The gallery hosted their final lifetime exhibitions: Cravo Jr.'s in October 2017, featuring wood and iron sculptures, and Dias's in March of this year, a long-planned show since 2016 for which the artist worked intensely on the catalog. Beyond professional ties, both shared deep social friendships with the gallerist, who expressed profound shock at losing them on the same day.