Edu Silva’s (1979, São Paulo, Brazil) synthetic-poetic vocabulary focuses on two elements: colour and material. In his practice, materials culturally identified as noble, such as marble and linen, coexist with others commonly read as ordinary, such as cardboard and acrylic paint. The vivid chromaticism of his paintings, the main medium of his production, comes from the creation of areas that are imperfectly overlaid by other tonal layers, revealing in the limits of their forms the times before they were made. In this operation, Silva creates fissures, layers, in-between spaces, skins and shells. His compositions are abstract, but their immanent spatiality inclines perception towards imaginary topographies, as if they were unknown landscapes and territories.
The chromatic patches, more organic than geometric, that inhabit his canvases are uneven, so that one colour always predominates in the painting. The asymmetry in the occupation of the surface allows for political readings through social analogies about territorial tensions, without, however, interfering with the power of Edu Silva’s reflections on the pictorial field. In his sculptures, the artist uses cardboard and marble in arrangements in which the fragility of the former provides support for the latter, whose density and weight in turn pose a risk to the structure itself. Usually installed in the corners of architecture, these objects reconfigure our gaze on space, drawing our attention to its margins.
Since 2012, Edu Silva has held solo exhibitions, including: Corolário, at Galeria Luis Maluf, in São Paulo, Brazil (2022); Autorretrato, at Galeria Vértice, in São Paulo, Brazil (2019); Mestiçagem, at CasaGaleria Oficina de Arte, in São Paulo, Brazil (2018); and Rupturas, at Museu de Arte de Blumenau, in Blumenau, Brazil (2017). His work has taken part in group shows such as: Dos Brasis: Arte e pensamento negro, at Sesc Belenzinho, in São Paulo, Brazil (2023); Fisionomía en contradicción, at the Museum of Northern History, in Kirkland Lake, Canada (2022); Rocco, at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s International, in New York, United States (2017); Map of the New Art, at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, in Venice, Italy (2015); among others. In addition, his works have been part of notable group exhibitions such as Mãos – 35 anos da mão afro, MAM São Paulo, Direito à Forma, Inhotim, 28th SARP – Ribeirão Preto Art Salon and 20th MARP Exhibition Programme – Ribeirão Preto Art Museum.
His work is in the collections of the Cerveira Biennial Art Foundation, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal; the Rio Grande do Sul Museum of Contemporary Art (MACRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; the Rio Art Museum (MAR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the Pinacoteca Municipal Pimentel Júnior, Rio Claro, Brazil.
Solo exhibitions
2022
Corolário, Luis Maluf Gallery, Jardins, São Paulo / SP
2019
[in] Fluxos Cormáticos (Chromatic flows), Centro Adamastor, Guarulhos / SP
Autorretrato (Self-portrait), Galeria Vértice, São Paulo / SP
2018
Mestiçagem (Miscegenation), Casagaleria Oficina de Arte, São Paulo / SP
2017
Rupturas (Ruptures), Museu de Arte de Blumenau, Blumenau / SC
Rupturas (Ruptures), Galeria 3, Casa da Xiclet, São Paulo / SP
2016
Abstração Periférica (Peripheral Abstraction), Galeria de Arte da AABB, São Paulo / SP
2015
Abstração Periférica (Peripheral Abstraction), Centro Cultural Francisco Carlos Moriconi, Suzano / SP
Abstração Periférica (Peripheral Abstraction), Biblioteca na Fundação Julita, São Paulo / SP
Abstração Periférica (Peripheral Abstraction), Biblioteca Monteiro Lobato, Guarulhos / SP
2013
Amalgamar (Amalgamate), Museu Municipal de Itaquaquecetuba / SP
Amalgamar (Amalgamate), C.M.I.C, Santana de Parnaiba / SP
Fragmentos (Fragments), Secretaria da Mulher, Barueri / SP
2012
Andanças (Wanderings), Centro Cultural Mestre Assis, Embu das Artes / SP
Collective exhibitions
2020
Diálogos Distantes, Casa Tato, São Paulo / SP
XXI Bienal de Cerveira (21st Cerveira Biennial), Vila Nova de Cerveira / PT
83º Salão Ararense (83rd Araras Art Salon) de Artes Plásticas Antonio Rodini de Araras / SP
Laboratório expositivo (Exhibition Lab), Casado Olhar, Santo André / S P
2019
51º Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Piracicaba (51st Piracicaba Contemporary Art Salon) / SP
XXXVII SAPLARC (37th Rio Claro Art Salon), Rio Claro / SP
10º Artista sem galeria (10th Artists Without Galleries Salon), São Paulo / SP
PIN•CÉU, Funarte, São Paulo / SP
2º Festival de Pintura (2nd Painting Festival), UNESP / SP
pro | vocações - vivenciando o livro de artista (pro-vocations - experiencing artist’s books), Coletivo Digital / SP
2018
XX Bienal de Cerveira (20th Cerveira Biennial), Vila Nova de Cerveira / PT
25º Salão de Artes Plástica (25th Art Salon), Praia Grande / SP
XXV Salão Curitibano de Artes Visuais (25th Curitiba Art Salon) / PR
Salão de Arte Visuais de Vinhedo (Vinhedo Art Salon) / SP
Pintura Expandida (Expanded Painting), Galeria Virgílio, São Paulo / SP
CNT, CasaGaleria Oficina de Arte, São Paulo / SP
1º Festival de Pintura (1st Painting Festival), UNESP/SP
A imagem e o Haicai (The Image and the Haiku), Memorial da América Latina / SP
1ª Bienal de Artes Visuais de Taubaté (1st Taubaté Art Biennial) / SP
2017
49º Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Piracicaba (49th Piracicaba Contemporary Art Salon) / SP
Iº Salão Coleção de Verão (1st Summer Collection Salon), Casa da Xiclet / SP
Dissensos (Disagreements), Casa Contemporânea / SP
Dez Pintores (Ten Painters), Paço Municipal, Santo André / SP
Rocco, Rochester Contemporary Art Center's international, New York / EUA
A imagem e a literatura latino Americana (The Latin American Image and Literature), Biblioteca José Mindlin, USP / SP
2016
15º Salão de Artes Contemporânea (15th Contemporary Art Salon), Guarulhos / SP
Galeria de Artes - TMB, Barueri / SP
2015
Map of the New Art, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Veneza / IT
Palácio 9 de Julho - ALESP, São Paulo / SP
Centro Cultural Mestre Assis, Embu das Artes / SP
Núcleo do olhar, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo / SP
2014
Contemporâneos (Contemporaries), Centro Cultural Mestre Assis, Embu das Artes/SP
Núcleo do olhar, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo / SP
2013
Coletiva (Collective), Museu Municipal de Barueri, Barueri / SP
Prizes
2019
1st Prize in the 37th Rio Claro Art Salon / SP
2nd Prize in the Artists Without Galleries Salon, São Paulo / SP
Residência
2019
Expedición Inter Conexiones O + Arte en Diálogos, La Habana, Cuba
Public Collections
Cerveira Biennial
Havana Biennial
Pinacoteca Municipal Pimentel Júnior
Academic Education
2010
Multimedia production, Senac, São Paulo / SP
2003
Marketing, Universidade Paulista, São Paulo / SP
Further Education
2020
Processos na arte contemporânea (Processes in Contemporary Art) at SESC Paulista with Anna Bella Geiger
Introdução a historia da arte: Paris, século XIX e XX (Introduction to art history: Paris, 19th and 20th centuries), Casa do Saber (On-line) with Renato Brolezzi
Arte Contemporânea no Mundo de Hoje (Contemporary Art in Today’s World), Casa do Saber (On-line) with Agnaldo Farias
2019
Acompanhamento em Arte (Artistic mentoring) - Sesc Vila Mariana with Gisela Motta and Leonardo Beserra
Grupo de estudos (Study Group) - Casa do Olhar with Cristina Suzuki
Pintura em Têmpera (Painting with Tempera) - Sesc Vila Mariana with André Ricardo
Matriz Perdida (Lost Matrix) - Sesc 24 de maio with Eduardo Ver
SketchUp para Exposições de Artes (SketchIp for Art Exhibitions) - Sesc CPF with Clarice Cunha
Poéticas Visuais - O Livro de Artista (Poetic visualities – The Artist’s Book) - Sesc CPF with Marcia Rosenberg
2018
A arte de vanguarda e a crítica de arte no Brasil (Avant-garde art and art criticism in Brazil) - Sesc CPF with Maria de Fátima
Curadorias Exemplares? (Exemplary Curating) Sesc CPF with Andrés I. M. Hernández
Grupo de Estudo LASTRO (LASTRO Study Group) Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade with Beatriz Lemos
2017
Grupo de Reflexão em Arte (Thoughts About Art Group) at Casa Contemporânea with Marcelo Salles
2016
Trilha 2e1 - Auto estudo (Self-study) with Carolina Paz
2015
Pintura Prática e Reflexão (Painting Practices and Reflections) with Paulo Pasta (até 2016)
2014
Desenho e Pintura (Drawing and Painting) - Universidade Belas Artes with Sergio Romagnolo
2013
História da Arte (Art History) with Rodrigo Naves
Introdução a Arte Contemporânea (Contemporary Art Introduction) - Pinacoteca with Rafael Vogt Maia Rosa
2012
História da Arte Contemporânea (History of Contemporary Art) with Daniela Bousso and Lucia Santaella
