Luiz Zerbini

Luiz Pierre Zerbini (São Paulo, Brazil, 1959) is a multimedia artist and one of the leading figures in contemporary Brazilian art. His artistic training began at the age of four, when he studied painting with Van Acker (1931–2000). He later pursued studies in photography under Carlos Moreira (b. 1936) and watercolor with Dudi Maia Rosa (b. 1946). Between 1978 and 1980, he attended the School of Fine Arts at the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) in São Paulo.

In the early 1980s, Zerbini relocated to Rio de Janeiro, where he worked as a set designer for the experimental theater group Asdrúbal Trouxe o Trombone. During this period, he also collaborated with actress Regina Casé (b. 1954) in a series of performance projects that reflected his interest in interdisciplinary artistic practices. He held his first solo exhibition in 1982 at Casa do Brasil in Madrid, Spain. In 1985, he participated in the National Salon of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, receiving the Special Jury Distinction, and in 1987 he took part in the 19th São Paulo International Biennial.

A prominent member of Brazil's celebrated Generation 80, Zerbini initially established his career as a painter before expanding his practice to include sculpture, drawing, photography, and video. In 1995, he received the APCA Grand Prize for Visual Arts, awarded by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics. That same year, he co-founded the collective Chelpa Ferro alongside artist Barrão (b. 1959), film and video editor Sérgio Mekler (b. 1963), and music producer Chico Neves. The group is known for its interdisciplinary works combining sculpture, technology-based installations, sound experimentation, and electronic music, earning recognition in both Brazil and abroad.

Sources:
Photo: https://www.cobogo.com.br/luiz-zerbini
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