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Gilvan José Meira Lins Samico (Recife, PE, 1928 - 2013) was a prominent Brazilian engraver, painter, draftsman, and teacher. In 1952, he founded the Collective Atelier of the Society of Modern Art of Recife (SAMR) with other artists, under the leadership of the engraver Abelardo da Hora. Samico studied woodcut with Lívio Abramo in 1957 at the School of Craftsmanship of the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art (MAM/SP), and in 1958, he moved to Rio de Janeiro to study engraving with Oswaldo Goeldi at the National School of Fine Arts (Enba). During this period, he dedicated himself to creating complex textures and linear rhythms in his works.

In 1965, he settled in Olinda and began teaching woodcut at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPA). After winning a travel award at the 17th National Salon of Modern Art (SNAM) in 1968, he spent two years in Europe. In 1971, he was invited by Ariano Suassuna to join the Armorial Movement, which aimed to value the Northeastern popular culture and the literature of cordel.

Samico's work is notable for revitalizing the popular romance of the Northeast, especially through the literature of cordel, and for his innovative use of woodcut. His engravings are populated by biblical characters, figures from local legends and narratives, as well as fantastic and mythical animals. With the introduction of new themes, his works also underwent a formal simplification, reducing the use of color and textures, becoming icons of Brazilian visual culture.

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