Artur Pereira

Artur Pereira (Cachoeira do Brumado, MG, 1920 – idem, 2003)
A renowned sculptor, Artur Pereira was born in a small district of Mariana, Minas Gerais. Raised in a large family with seven siblings, he experienced a childhood marked by financial hardship. From an early age, he worked alongside his father, a farmer and traveling salesman of soapstone pans, while his mother worked as a seamstress. His formal education was limited, and his father’s untimely death, when Artur was between 15 and 18 years old, increased his responsibilities in supporting the family.

As a young man, Artur displayed artistic talent by modeling small clay animals for nativity scenes, which were well-received by the local community. However, economic necessity led him to work in various professions: as a woodcutter, charcoal maker, bricklayer, carpenter, and farmer. During a period of isolation in a forest hut, he carved wooden bowls and sculpted a cat out of cedar, marking his initial foray into sculpture. Nevertheless, this activity was paused for decades until the 1960s, when he returned to his hometown and resumed his artistic practice.

His artistic production, primarily in cedarwood, began with sculptures of individual animals such as oxen, jaguars, dogs, and lions. Over time, he developed more intricate works, combining multiple figures into single pieces, such as hunting scenes and nativity sets. His dedication led to recognition in 1971, when he won a nativity competition organized by the Ouro Preto Art Foundation. This accolade opened doors to the art market, enabling his works to be showcased in galleries across Brazil and providing him the means to support himself exclusively through art.

Artur Pereira earned the admiration of prominent critics and artists, including Amilcar de Castro, Paulo Vasconcellos, César Aché, and Renato Madureira. In 1989, he held a solo exhibition at the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce Cultural Space in Rio de Janeiro. His sculptures were featured in significant group exhibitions, such as Brésil, Arts Populaires (Paris, 1987) and the Mostra do Redescobrimento (Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, 2000).

In 2009, six years after his passing, the Instituto Moreira Salles organized a major retrospective of his work, with exhibitions in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. His art, deeply connected to popular culture and the emotional memory of his homeland, remains a vital part of Brazilian sculpture’s legacy.

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Photo: http://artepopularbrasil.blogspot.com.br/2011/01/artur-pereira.html