Chico da Silva

Articles

Essays on the life and work of Chico da Silva, written from period sources: newspapers, books, interviews and the collection itself.

  1. 01The Caboclo of the Alto TejoChico da Silva's origins: a birth without records on the Alto Tejo in Acre, a childhood on the rivers, and the road to Fortaleza and the Pirambu School.
  2. 02The Murals of Praia FormosaFish, birds and ghost ships in charcoal on fishermen's walls in Fortaleza: how Chico da Silva's repertoire began before gouache and the Pirambu School.
  3. 03Jean-Pierre Chabloz and the Discovery of Chico da SilvaHow Jean-Pierre Chabloz found Chico da Silva's murals in Fortaleza in 1943 and carried his gouaches to Europe, years before the Pirambu School.
  4. 04The Pirambu SchoolInside Chico da Silva's Pirambu studio in Fortaleza: the five young painters of the Escola do Pirambu, their collective method, and the double attribution.
  5. 05Venice, 1966Chico da Silva's honourable mention at the 33rd Venice Biennale (1966), the press, and the imaginary journeys of the Pirambu School painter of Fortaleza.
  6. 06The Painting FactoryHow Chico da Silva's Fortaleza studio became a painting factory: mass production, forgeries and the disputed marks of the Pirambu School, 1966–1972.
  7. 07The Final YearsThe final years of Chico da Silva (1970–1985): illness and hospitals in Fortaleza, late paintings, the Pirambu School dispute, his death on 6 December 1985.
  8. 08The Instituto Oboé and the Pirambu RevivalHow the Instituto Cultural Oboé reunited Chico da Silva's disciples in Fortaleza and revived the Escola do Pirambu in 34 canvases from 2004 to 2011.
  9. 09Garcia, the Last DiscipleGarcia, last living disciple of Chico da Silva's Escola do Pirambu, retraces the school in two interviews recorded in Fortaleza, Ceará.
  10. 10Babá, the First DiscipleBabá (Sebastião Lima da Silva), the first disciple of Chico da Silva in Pirambu: Bluhm's workshop, the 1966 scandal and a signature of his own from 1977.
  11. 11Claudionor, the DraughtsmanJosé Claudionor Nogueira (1945–2010), who drew the creatures of Chico da Silva's Pirambu School: the Mercantil São José panels and the 2010 memoir.
  12. 12Chica da Silva, the Painter's DaughterChica da Silva (Francisca da Silva), daughter of Chico da Silva and the only woman in the core of the Pirambu School: her own name on the canvas in 1976.
  13. 13Ivan de Assis, the Cinema in the BestiaryIvan José de Assis, of the original core of the Pirambu School: he knew Chico da Silva before the fame and put winged animals and roosters in the repertoire.
  14. 14Maria Augusta, the Girl Who SignedMaria Augusta do Carmo Moreira painted for Chico da Silva from 1965 and said so in public at fifteen: the 1969 newspapers and the canvas she signed in 1973.
  15. 15Primitive, Naïve, IndigenousEighty years of criticism on Chico da Silva, from Rubem Navarra in 1945 to the curators of the 2020s: every generation swapped the label, none settled it.
  16. 16Legacy and RediscoveryHow Chico da Silva returned to view after 1985: retrospectives in São Paulo and Fortaleza, the Escola do Pirambu debate, and a new market.