Yolanda Mohalyi

Yolanda Lederer Mohalyi (Kolozsvár, Hungary [now Cluj Napoca, Romania], 1909 - São Paulo, 1978) was a renowned painter and draftsman. She began her painting studies at the Nagygania Free School in Hungary and, in 1927, enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. In 1931, she moved to Brazil and settled in São Paulo, where she taught drawing and painting, counting among her students notable artists like Maria Bonomi and Giselda Leirner.

In 1935, Mohalyi began attending Lasar Segall's studio, where she developed a strong artistic affinity. By 1937, she joined the Grupo 7, alongside artists such as Victor Brecheret and Antonio Gomide. Her first solo exhibition took place in 1945 at the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil (IAB/SP).

In 1951, she started creating woodcuts in collaboration with Hansen Bahia. She received the Leirner Prize for Contemporary Art in 1958. During the 1950s and 1960s, Mohalyi executed stained glass windows, murals, and mosaics for institutions and private residences in São Paulo, notably for the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) and the churches Cristo Operário and São Domingos.

In 1962, she represented Brazil at the 1st American Biennial of Art in Argentina, with some of her works selected by critic Sir Herbert Read for a traveling exhibition in the United States. In 1963, she was awarded Best National Painter at the 7th São Paulo International Biennial, solidifying her importance in the Brazilian art scene.

Sources:
Photo: http://cultura.estadao.com.br/noticias/artes,tributo-a-pintura-de-yolanda-mohalyi-em-livro-e-exposicao,1785192
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