Amélia Toledo

Trajectory and Legacy in Brazilian Art

Amélia Amorim Toledo, born in São Paulo in 1926 and deceased in 2017, was an influential Brazilian sculptor, painter, designer, and engraver. Her artistic training began in the late 1930s in Anita Malfatti's studio in São Paulo. In the following years, she expanded her studies with masters such as Yoshiya Takaoka and Waldemar da Costa, and in 1948, collaborated on projects in the office of the renowned architect Vilanova Artigas.

In 1958, Toledo enhanced her skills at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. After returning to Brazil in 1960, she dedicated herself to studying metal sculpture with João Luís Oliveira Chaves at Estúdio/Gravura. Since the mid-1960s, she taught at the School of Architecture and Urbanism at Mackenzie University, at the Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation (Faap) in São Paulo, and at the School of Industrial Design (ESDI) in Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to her academic career, Toledo developed techniques in oil and watercolor painting and ventured into jewelry design. Her work also extended to public spaces, including the chromatic project of the Arcoverde station of the Rio de Janeiro subway between 1996 and 1998. In 1999, a retrospective of her work was held at the Sesi Gallery in São Paulo, and in 2004, the book "Amélia Toledo: The Natures of Artifice" by Agnaldo Farias was published, detailing her rich trajectory and contributions to Brazilian art.

Amélia Toledo left a lasting legacy, marked by an innovative approach that crosses various artistic disciplines, reinforcing her role as one of the most important figures in Brazilian art of the 20th century.