Brasil + Tarsila do Amaral

Self-portrait with Orange Dress, oil on canvas 1921

Seeing the amazing exhibition at the Royal Academy yesterday, inspired me deeply as I reflect today about my art practice. Tarsila do Amaral’s work was the one I connected with the most. I remember seeing Abaporu for the first time and the painting stayed with me, together with the name of the artist. Back then I didn’t understand the depth of her work or how important she was for the development of modernism within Brasil. This was until yesterday when I got to experience many of her artworks in person, from some of her earlier works, when she was trained in Paris, to how her art continued to evolve once she returned to Brasil.

Landscape with Bridge, oil on canvas, 1931

Favela Hill, oil on canvas, 1924

Settlement I, oil on canvas, 1952

Market II, oil on canvas, 1925

I am enamoured by the way she depicts her country, the vibrancy of her landscapes is so rich and reflective of what I experienced when I visited São Paulo many years ago. But beyond that it inspired me to continue to carve a way to depict my home country through my art, experimenting and finding a way forward to resonates with me to convey the vibrancy of the landscapes in my beloved Ecuador.

Lake, oil on canvas, 1928