Black Voices at Bahia's Modern Art Museum

Emanoel Araújo (1940-2022) was a Brazilian artist known for celebrating Afro-Brazilian culture through his sculptures, paintings & prints. Emanoel Araújo's artistic legacy is deeply intertwined with his commitment to celebrating Afro-Brazilian heritage.

Araújo's influence transcended the walls of galleries and museums. He served as the director of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and later at the Afro Brazil Emanoel Araújo Museum, renamed in his honor after his passing.

Panmela Castro (b. 1981) is a powerful Brazilian artist and activist who uses her art to champion women's rights and social justice. Her work, spanning murals, paintings, and performances, tackles themes of female identity and gender equality.

On this painting, the artist portrays Ana Cláudia Lemos Pacheco, a researcher from the Federal University of Bahia, whose work revolves around the study of the "solitude of the Black woman".

Juarez Paraíso, a renowned Brazilian artist (b. 1934), is a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Paraíso has significantly impacted the art scene in Bahia and Brazil. His artistic style leans towards modernism, but with a unique twist.

He's known for incorporating interlocking circular forms that often evoke organic shapes. This focus on circularity and organic forms sets him apart from some of the more rigid geometric styles of traditional modernism.

Tiago Sant'Ana (b. 1990) is a contemporary Brazilian artist making waves with his thought-provoking works that explore themes of race, history, and power dynamics.

The "Sugar Shoes" series highlights the delicate balance of freedom. Crafted from sugar, these shoes symbolize the liberation of enslaved Black people. Their imminent dissolution in seawater underscores the vulnerability of their newly found citizenship.

Anderson AC (b. 1979) is known for his versatility. He utilizes various mediums including painting, graffiti, collage, photography, and even video and installation art. His work often explores themes of memory, history, and the connections between past and present.

He frequently uses found objects as starting points for his creations, breathing new life into them. This process reflects his interest in personal and collective histories.