Antonio Dias, Brazilian Artist of Concretism and Tropicalia, Dies at 74

Antonio Dias, born in 1944 in Campina Grande, Paraiba, passed away in 2018. His art emerged during Brazil's dictatorship, engaging with concretist and tropicalia movements. Early 1960s works addressed violence, sex, censorship, police states, and nuclear war, reflecting daily experiences in Brazil. In 1966, he relocated to Paris, broadening his political narratives. After moving to Milan, he temporarily set aside figuration, but by 1973 initiated the series The Illustrations of Art, featuring silkscreen reproductions of altered magazine and newspaper covers. In 1977, Dias spent five months in Nepal crafting handmade paper with local artisans, which he utilized over two decades for his Nepalese Papers series. His work was featured in Tate Modern's 2015 exhibition The World Goes Pop, though he rejected the Pop artist label. Dias divided his life between Rio de Janeiro and Milan.