Untitled
From the Tecelares Series
Brasil, 1958
Woodcut on Japanese Paper
Measurements
20,8 x 21h cm
8,2 x 8,3h in
Provenance
Artist’s collection
Private collection, Rio de Janeiro (by descent])
Private collection, São Paulo
Exposições Exhibitions
2024 Lygia Pape: ação-dentro (cur. Ana Avelar), Almeida & Dale, São Paulo
2012 Lygia Pape: espaço imantado (cur. Manuel J. Borjas-Villel, Teresa Velázquez), Pinacoteca de São Paulo, São Paulo
Literature
Lygia Pape, Tecelares. Written by Mark Pascale, Adele Nelson and Maria Cristina Rivera Ramos. Published by Yale University Press, 2023.
Lygia Pape: espaço imantado. São Paulo: Pinacoteca do Estado, 2012, p. 131. Lygia Pape: ação-dentro. São Paulo: Almeida & Dale, 2024, p. 46.
Biography
Lygia Pape (1927–2004) was a Brazilian visual artist, sculptor, engraver, filmmaker, and teacher. She was a key figure in the Neo-Concrete Movement, which emerged in the late 1950s, advocating for a more organic and experiential approach to geometric abstraction, moving beyond the strict formalism of Concrete art.
Born in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Pape studied with renowned artists such as Ivan Serpa and later became associated with fellow Neo-Concrete artists like Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica. Her work spanned multiple mediums, including painting, printmaking, installation, and film, often challenging the boundaries between the viewer and the artwork.
One of her most iconic works is the series "Tecelares" (1952–1959), woodcut prints that combined the geometric rigor of Constructivism with a lyrical, personal touch. In 1960, she created the participatory installation "Divisor", which invited viewers to move together under a large white sheet with holes, transforming the public into active participants in the artwork.
Throughout her career, Pape's work explored themes of social integration, sensorial experience, and the relationship between art and life. She continued to push artistic boundaries until her death in 2004, leaving a profound impact on contemporary art in Brazil and internationally.
