Manabu Mabe (Kumamoto, Japan, 1924 - São Paulo, Brazil, 1997) was a prominent painter, printmaker, and illustrator in the Brazilian art scene. Born in Japan, he immigrated to Brazil in 1934 with his family, settling in the coffee plantations of São Paulo's interior.

From a young age, Mabe showed an interest in painting, starting his research independently through Japanese magazines and art books. In 1945, in the city of Lins, São Paulo, he learned techniques for preparing canvases and diluting paints with painter and photographer Teisuke Kumasaka.

In the late 1940s, now in São Paulo, Mabe met painter Tomoo Handa and began participating in meetings of the Seibi Group and the Group 15, where he honed his technical and theoretical skills with painter Yoshiya Takaoka. In the 1950s, he joined the Guanabara Group and participated in various exhibitions.

In 1957, Mabe made the crucial decision to sell his coffee plantation in Lins and move permanently to São Paulo, dedicating himself entirely to painting. His talent was quickly recognized, and in 1958, he received the Leirner Prize for Contemporary Art.

His breakthrough came in 1959, when Time magazine honored him with an article titled "The Year of Manabu Mabe." In the same year, he won the best national painter award at the 5th São Paulo International Biennial and a painting prize at the 1st Paris Biennial.

In the 1980s, Mabe continued to expand his artistic impact, painting a mural for the Pan American Union in Washington, United States, illustrating "The Book of Haikus," and creating the backdrop curtain for the Provincial Theatre in Kumamoto, Japan.

Manabu Mabe left a lasting legacy in the art world, remembered for his significant contributions to painting and illustration, both in Brazil and internationally.