Tunga

Antonio José de Barros Carvalho e Mello Mourão, known as Tunga, was born in Palmares, Pernambuco, in 1952 and passed away in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. A sculptor, draftsman, and performance artist, Tunga was the son of poet and writer Gerardo Melo Mourão, and his early exposure to literature significantly influenced his artistic formation.

He moved to Rio de Janeiro and graduated in Architecture and Urbanism from Santa Úrsula University in 1974. In the same year, he held his first solo exhibition, titled "Museu da Masturbação Infantil," at the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAM/RJ). During this period, he contributed to the magazine Malasartes and the independent newspaper A Parte do Fogo.

From the 1980s onwards, Tunga expanded his international career, participating in exhibitions in Canada, the United States, and Italy. In 1981, he joined the 16th São Paulo Biennial, presenting the installation Ão, and in 1982, he participated in the 40th Venice Biennale. In 1985, he published an insert in the magazine Revirão 2 – Revista da Prática Freudiana with images from the performance "Xifópagas Capilares" (1984). In 1987, he created the video "Nervo de Prata" in partnership with Arthur Omar.

In the following years, his work gained further international recognition with exhibitions in London, Chicago, Glasgow, and Toronto. In 1994, he participated in the 22nd São Paulo Biennial and the 10th Havana Biennial in Cuba, where he exhibited "Barroco de Lírios." This trip inspired the artist book "Barroco de Lírios," published in 1997 by Cosac & Naify.

In 1998, he joined the 24th São Paulo Biennial and presented for the first time in Rio de Janeiro the performance artwork "Tereza," in partnership with musician Arnaldo Antunes. In 2002, he performed "Floresta Sopão – Mondrongos Jambo," a collaboration with filmmaker Murilo Salles, documented in the film "És Tu Brasil."

Throughout his career, Tunga received numerous awards, including the Brasília Prize for Visual Arts in 1990 and the Mário Pedrosa Prize from the Brazilian Association of Art Critics (Abca) in 1991. In 2005, he became one of the first contemporary artists to exhibit at the Louvre Museum in Paris with the work "À Luz de Dois Mundos."

In 2012, he inaugurated the Psicoativa Gallery at the Inhotim Institute in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, a space dedicated to his production. His works are part of significant collections in national and international museums, cementing his legacy as one of the most innovative artists of his generation.

Sources:
Photo: https://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/artes-visuais/morre-artista-plastico-tunga-aos-64-anos-19451906
Text: Blombô research and curation, with the support of artificial intelligence for content writing and structuring.