Beatriz Milhazes

1960

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

After the spectacular success of her first exhibition, Beatriz went on to become one of the most celebrated artists in Brazil, and by mid-1990s onward, gained international acclaim. Apart from her paintings, she also makes collages making use of everyday items such as shopping bags and shiny candy wrappers. Beatriz has also begun experimenting with three-dimensional work. Renowned artists such as Tarsila do Amaral and Bridget Riley have had a huge influence on Beatriz’s works, which is evident in the way she uses art to aestheticize thoughts and feelings and to explore conflict. She also feels a connection with seminal artists like Matisse and Mondrian, and especially female artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Elizabeth Murray, and Sonia Delaunay. Working from a studio next to the lush botanical gardens in Rio de Janeiro, the picturesque site adds a local flavor to her works and is apparent in her use of floral designs. The palpable energy of her hometown is also evident in the bright and bold colors she uses that ooze with vibrancy. Often described as abstract, Beatriz Milhazes’ works have a lot more to offer. More often than not, the influence of Brazil’s urban life as well as folk culture is visible in her work. In this regard, her work is complex and layered with dynamic colors and shapes. Elements of Brazil’s rich and vibrant culture finds its way into the bright colors and motifs that Beatriz uses in her works. Her works are intricately crafted with patterns that strike an uncommonly perfect balance between abstract and embellishment. Drawing from 19th century embroidery, her paintings include Baroque imagery and ruffle or lace motifs. The influence of the location of her studio as well as the Brazilian culture is palpable in the electric imagery present in her paintings. Elaborate and intricate floral designs infused with geometric shapes like squares and circles and mechanical swirls form an almost web-like pattern and lend a feminine quality to the canvas and are a visual delight. In order to achieve such a labyrinthine effect, Beatriz uses a unique technique she devised in 1989 when trying to decipher a way to effectively express herself. She first draws on a translucent plastic sheet and paints a motif on the other side. Once that is dry, the images are peeled off from the plastic and glued onto the canvas. These layered and superimposed images are much like collage. Although the process may sometimes result in loss of portions of paint, the resulting artwork creates rich composition of an elaborate interplay of kaleidoscopic images.

Beatriz Milhazes Edit Profile

artist

Background

Beatriz Milhazes was born in 1960 in Rio de Janeiro. Her father was a lawyer and mother an art historian.

Education

Beatriz studied social communication at Faculdades Integradas Hélio Alonso (FACHA), Rio de Janeiro from 1978 to 1981 and studied at the School of Visual Arts (Escola de Artes Visuais - EAV) of Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro from 1980 to 1982.

Career

After the spectacular success of her first exhibition, Beatriz went on to become one of the most celebrated artists in Brazil, and by mid-1990s onward, gained international acclaim. Apart from her paintings, she also makes collages making use of everyday items such as shopping bags and shiny candy wrappers. Beatriz has also begun experimenting with three-dimensional work.

Renowned artists such as Tarsila do Amaral and Bridget Riley have had a huge influence on Beatriz’s works, which is evident in the way she uses art to aestheticize thoughts and feelings and to explore conflict. She also feels a connection with seminal artists like Matisse and Mondrian, and especially female artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Elizabeth Murray, and Sonia Delaunay. Working from a studio next to the lush botanical gardens in Rio de Janeiro, the picturesque site adds a local flavor to her works and is apparent in her use of floral designs. The palpable energy of her hometown is also evident in the bright and bold colors she uses that ooze with vibrancy.

Often described as abstract, Beatriz Milhazes’ works have a lot more to offer. More often than not, the influence of Brazil’s urban life as well as folk culture is visible in her work. In this regard, her work is complex and layered with dynamic colors and shapes. Elements of Brazil’s rich and vibrant culture finds its way into the bright colors and motifs that Beatriz uses in her works.

Her works are intricately crafted with patterns that strike an uncommonly perfect balance between abstract and embellishment. Drawing from 19th century embroidery, her paintings include Baroque imagery and ruffle or lace motifs. The influence of the location of her studio as well as the Brazilian culture is palpable in the electric imagery present in her paintings. Elaborate and intricate floral designs infused with geometric shapes like squares and circles and mechanical swirls form an almost web-like pattern and lend a feminine quality to the canvas and are a visual delight.

In order to achieve such a labyrinthine effect, Beatriz uses a unique technique she devised in 1989 when trying to decipher a way to effectively express herself. She first draws on a translucent plastic sheet and paints a motif on the other side. Once that is dry, the images are peeled off from the plastic and glued onto the canvas. These layered and superimposed images are much like collage. Although the process may sometimes result in loss of portions of paint, the resulting artwork creates rich composition of an elaborate interplay of kaleidoscopic images.

Achievements

Beatriz is known for her work juxtaposing Brazilian cultural imagery and references to western Modernist painting. Milhazes represented Brazil at the 2003 Biennale di Venezia.

Milhaze's work is included in prestigious international collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan; and Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA to name a few.

Beatriz's 2000 painting "Meu Limão" "sold for $2.1 million dollars at Sotheby's in California, making her the highest-priced living Brazilian artist at auction."

Works

Rosa Branca no Centro Rosa Branca no Centro

O Espelho (The mirror) O Espelho (The mirror)

Red Pepper (Triptych) Red Pepper (Triptych)

painting
- Bala de Leite
  2005
- Beleza Pura
  2006
- Brinquelandia
  2008
- Carambola
  2008
- Chokito
  2006
- Cinnamon
  2009
- Figo
  2006
- Ice Grape
  2008
- Madame Caduvel
  1996
- Mariposa
  2004
- Modinha
  2007
- Mulatinho
  2008
- Nega Maluca
  2006
- Nu Azul
  1997
- O Espelho (The mirror)
  2000
- O Pato
  1998
- O Sabado
  2000
- Phebo
  2004
- Carambola
  2008
- Red Pepper (Triptych)
  2009
- Rosa Branca no Centro
  1997
- Salt (Diptych)
  2009
- South Seas
  2001
- Spring Love
  2010
- Sugar
  2009
- The Kiss
  1995
- The Kiss
  2001

Views

Quotations: "I tell my friends that I'm like a bank worker...I come to the studio five days a week and do my job. I pay attention to detail, and try not to make mistakes."

References

Beatriz Milhazes: Collages

Main Photo