Wanda Pimentel's 1990s Paintings Explore Domestic Violence and Patriarchy at Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel

Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel in São Paulo presents 'Os Anos Noventa,' an exhibition of six paintings by Wanda Pimentel from the 1990s, on view through June 11. The show examines themes of dominance, domesticity, and underlying violence in her work, with pieces like 'Roupa' (1996) depicting a cluttered room of clothes and an untitled 1995 work featuring a car grille as if at impact. Pimentel, a student of Ivan Serpa, blended hard-edge geometric abstraction into New Figuration, moving from her earlier 'Envolvimento' series (1968–84) with bright colors to more subdued palettes in these later works. Her art critiques patriarchy and consumerism, as seen in 'Untitled (Monuments series)' (1994), where a male figure's silhouette dominates, and 'Untitled (vitrine)' (1996), with a man's jacket encased like a mausoleum. The exhibition highlights how Pimentel's societal angst contrasts with the fictional artist Heleninha Roitman from the telenovela 'Vale Tudo' (1988–89), whose on-screen paintings were lent from Pimentel's studio, underscoring the real artist's focus on women's constrained roles. A 2017 exhibition at MASP, São Paulo, previously concentrated on her 'Envolvimento' series, emphasizing her evolution toward darker, cinematic canvases that challenge domestic scenes.