Arcangelo Ianelli

Born and deceased in São Paulo (1922-2009), was an influential Brazilian artist, sculptor, draftsman, and painter. He started his artistic career as a self-taught artist and, in 1940, enhanced his skills in perspective at the São Paulo Association of Fine Arts. In 1942, he began studying painting under the guidance of Colette Pujol. He deepened his studies in the workshop of Waldemar da Costa and other renowned artists such as Lothar Charoux, Hermelindo Fiaminghi, and Maria Leontina.

During the 1950s, Ianelli was a member of the Guanabara Group, alongside artists like Manabu Mabe and Yoshiya Takaoka. His work initially focused on everyday scenes and urban and marine landscapes, evolved into an exploration of abstractionism from the 1960s onward. His abstract style is characterized by intense use of dark colors and dense compositions.

In the 70s, Ianelli returned to geometric abstraction, using shapes like rectangles and squares in overlapping planes. Concurrently, he developed a significant career as a sculptor, working with marble and wood, and continued to explore recurring themes in his work.

In 2002, the São Paulo State Pinacoteca held a retrospective of his work, celebrating his 80th birthday, cementing his legacy as one of the great names in visual arts in Brazil.

Sources:
Photo: http://obviousmag.org/pintores-brasileiros/arcangelo_ianelli/