Renato De Lima

Celso Renato de Lima, born in Rio de Janeiro on July 23, 1919, and passed away in Belo Horizonte on September 2, 1992, was a prominent Brazilian painter in the geometric abstraction movement during the 1960s. Alongside Amilcar de Castro, Celso Renato stood out as one of the most singular artists engaging with the constructive tradition in Minas Gerais.

As a child, he moved with his family to Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. His interest in painting was encouraged by his father, but Celso Renato largely followed a self-taught path in his artistic development. Starting in 1962, he regularly participated in biennials, developing an increasingly geometric abstract style. His work gained recognition, though he faced challenges in maintaining artistic consistency throughout his career.

Coming from an upper-middle-class background, he graduated in Law, following his family's governmental tradition. However, he did not secure a prominent government position and, during the 70s and 80s, worked as a lawyer in a state-owned company to sustain his lifestyle. During this period, Celso Renato limited his art production to his studio in Belo Horizonte and participated less frequently in exhibitions.

In 1983, he returned to the São Paulo biennials with works of constructive characteristics, using low-cost woods discarded from construction sites, painted to resemble signs of an archaic geometry. His art, marked by the use of simple materials and the exploration of geometric forms, significantly contributed to the Brazilian geometric abstraction scene.

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Text: Blombô research and curation, with the support of artificial intelligence for content writing and structuring.