Brazil: From Anthropophagism to the Contemporary Explosion

Brazil boasts one of the most dynamic and diverse art scenes in Latin America. Brazilian modernism burst onto the scene in 1922 with the Week of Modern Art in São Paulo, led by Mário de Andrade and Oswald de Andrade. Painter Tarsila do Amaral (1886–1973) created *Abaporu* (1928), an icon of Anthropophagism—the concept of critically "devouring" European culture to transform it into something new and uniquely Brazilian. Cândido Portinari (1903–1962) depicted the lives of rural workers with epic grandeur. In the second half of the 20th century, Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark revolutionized art with their participatory installations and relational objects, anticipating global contemporary art. Adriana Varejão addresses colonial violence through the medium of *azulejos* (glazed tiles), while Rosana Paulino denounces the legacy of slavery. Today, Brazilian art stands as one of the most influential voices of the Global South.

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