Belém, Brazil, 1956.
Lives and works in Belém, Brazil.
Luiz Braga started in photography at the age of eleven. Up until 1981, he photographed mainly in black and white. After this phase, he discovered the vibrant colors of the vernacular Amazonian landscape and, by invitation of the National Arts Foundation, he travelled throughout the region and improved his photographic repertoire. In 1987, he returns to black and white from his early days, and depicts the Amazon’s caboclo and his surroundings, consequently being awarded with the Prize Marc Ferrez.
His enchantment by the colors and the pictorial possibilities extracted from the confrontation between natural light and the multiple sources of light from the boats, parks, and popular bars resulted in the series Anos Luz, awarded with the “Leopold Godowsky Color Photography Award” in 1991.
His unique approach steers away from the stereotypical views on the Amazon. And the mastery of color turned him into a reference in contemporary Brazilian photography. In 2009, he was one of the Brazilian representatives at the 53rd Venice Biennale.
Luiz Braga graduated in Architecture from the Federal University of Pará. Until 1981, he photographed mainly in black and white. After this phase, he discovered the vibrant colors of popular Amazonian visuality and, invited by Funarte, traveled through the region to deepen his work. In 1987, he returned to the black and white of his early days, portraying the Amazonian caboclo in his environment, and was awarded the Marc Ferrez /Funarte Prize.
The eternal enchantment for color and the pictorial possibilities extracted from the confrontation between natural light and the multiple light sources of boats, parks, and popular bars, result in the essay “Light Years”, awarded in 1991 with the “Leopold Godowsky Color Photography Awards” (USA), exhibited in the Art Museum of São Paulo, SP (1992).
His unique approach bypasses stereotypical and superficial views of the Amazon and, together with his mastery of color, has made him a reference in contemporary Brazilian photography.
In 2009, he was one of Brazil’s representatives at the 53rd Venice Biennale in Italy. He recently received the APCA Award for best photography exhibition of 2014.
Education
1975 – 1983
-Architecture, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.
Recent exhibitions
2021
– “20 YEARS SERRINHA ART EXHIBITION” Collective. Cultural Center Carlos Gomes Cultural Center. October 16, São Paulo, Brazil
– “LUIZ BRAGA: MASK, MIRROR AND SCUDDLE” Individual. Tomie Ohtake Tomie Ohtake Institute. August 12 to December 12. São Paulo, Brazil
– COSMO-CHAOS: NEW PERSPECTIVE IN CONTEMPORARY BRAZILIAN Joshibi Art Museum. July 7th to 19th. Sagamihara, Tokyo, Japan.
– 1981|2021 – BRAZILIAN CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE COLLECTION OF ANDREA AND JOSÉ OLYMPIO PEREIRA” Collective. Cultural Center Banco Itaú. April 14 to July 26, 2021. Downtown, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– RETHINKING COLLECTIVITY: THE GUANGZHOU IMAGE TRIENNIAL 2021″ Collective. The Guangzhou Museum of Art. March to May 2021. Guangzhou, China, Brazil
2020
– “CLUB OF PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTORS – 20 YEARS” Collective. Museums of Modern Art of São Paulo – MAM. October 2020 to August 21, 2021. 2021. São Paulo/SP.
– “DAY, NIGHT, NIGHT” Collective. Lapa Shed. São Paulo/SP. October, Brazil
2019
– “ENCONTRO DAS ÁGUAS” Collective. Cultural space Casa das onze janelas. Until February 28, 2020. Belém/Pa, Brazil
– “ARTE PARÁ 2019 – Amazonian Legend” Collective. 38० edition. Museu do Estado do Pará – MEP.October 10 to December 22. Belém/PA, Brazil
– “O TEMPO DAS COISAS | PERIFERIA RIBEIRINHA: UMA PAISAGEM DE RESISTÊNCIA” Collective. Awarded. Project Rumos Itaú Cultural. September 4th to November 3rd. São Paulo – SP, Brazil
– “CONTEMPORARY, ALWAYS – SANTANDER BRAZIL COLLECTION” Collective. Santander Lighthouse, August 27, 2019 to January 5, 2020, São Paulo. Farol Santander, March 25, 2020 to June 26, 2020, Porto Alegre, Brazil
– “INTERIOR, RETRATS [ AND PAISAGENS]” Individual. Galeria Leme/AD. August 17 to September 28. São Paulo – SP, Brazil
– Collective exhibition. MABEU – Museum of Art Brazil United States. CCBEU, Tribute to Acácio Sobral, August 8 to September 6, Brazil
– “INTERSEPTIONS” Collective. Contemporaneous Daily Photo Award. Museum of UFPA. Belém-PA. July 7th to October 29th, Brazil
– VAIVÉM” Collective. Itinerant. Cultural Center of Banco do Brasil. São Paulo from May 21 to July 29, 2019. Brasília from September 2 to November 10, 2019. Rio de Janeiro from November 26, 2019 to February 17, 2020. Belo Horizonte from March 10, 2020 to May 31, 2020, Brazil
2018
– ” SOLAR FOTO FESTIVAL – EXHIBITION EARTH IN TRANSE” Collective. Dragão do Mar Center for Art and Culture. December 5th to 9th. Fortaleza-CE, Brazil
– FEITO POEIRA AO VENTO” Collective. MAR – Rio de Janeiro Art Museum. Rio de Janeiro- RJ. Until August 19, Brazil
– “FOTOGRAFIA EM TRANSE|COLEÇÃO DO MUSEU DA FOTOGRAFIA DA CIDADE DE CURITIBA” Collective. Museum of Photography of the City of Curitiba. Curitiba-Paraná. July 17 to October 07, Brazil
– AFRO ATLANTIC HISTORIES” Collective. MASP-Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubrinad. São Paulo-SP. June/August, Brazil
– AMAZÔNIA – THE NEW TRAVELLERS” Collective. MUBE-Museu Brasileiro de Escultura e Ecologia. São Paulo-SP. May/July, Brazil
– THE COLLECTIONS: THE LOOK FROM THE HEART – PARAENESE ARTISTS IN THE COLLECTION OF JORGE ALEX ATHIAS” Collective. House of the eleven windows. Belém, Pará. May, Brazil
– LUIZ BRAGA Occupation” Individual exhibition. House Pau Brazil. Lisbon-Portugal. April/June, Brazil
2017
– “ESPELHOS D’ÁGUA” Individual. Gávea Gallery. Rio de Janeiro-RJ. September 14 to November 28, Brazil
– “ARRAIAL DA LUZ” Individual. Praça das Comunicações, Salvaterra-Marajó. September 05 to 10, Brazil
– “RETUMBANT HUMANIZED NATURE” Individual. Goyazes Photography Festival. Vila Cultural Cora Coralina. Goiânia. September/October, Brazil
– FEITO POEIRA AO VENTO – PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE MAR COLLECTION” Collective. Art Museum of Rio – MAR. August. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
– ENTRE NÓS – THE HUMAN FIGURE IN THE MASP COLLECTION” Collective. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil de Brasília – CCBB. Brasília, Federal District. July 18th until September 18th, Brazil
– 16th FESTIVAL ARTE SERRINHA” Collective. Participation as invited artist. Bragança Paulista. July 3th to 30th. São Paulo-SP, Brazil
– WAYS OF SEEING BRAZIL: ITAÚ CULTURAL 30 YEARS” Collective. Oca / Ibirapuera Park. May 25th to August 13th. São Paulo-SP, Brazil
– “PAISAGEM NO ACERVO DO MUSEU DE ARTE MODERNA DE SÃO PAULO” Collective. Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo – MAM. May 09 to June 30. São Paulo-SP, Brazil
– ANTILOGIES” Collective. Pina_Luz. May/August. Pinacoteca Gallery. São Paulo-SP, Brazil
– MOSTRA O MAC USP NO SÉCULO XXI: A ERA DOS ARTISTAS” Collective. May. São Paulo-SP, Brazil
– Collective “EXHIBITION OF THE INAUGURATION”. Museum of Photography of Fortaleza. Fortaleza-Ce. 2017, Brazil
– “ARTE DA LEMBRANÇA, A SAUDADE NA FOTOGRAFIA BRASILEIRA” Collective. Dragão do Mar Center for Cultural Art. Fortaleza-Ce. January/March, Brazil
– MASP at CCBB: THE HUMAN FIGURE THROUGH TIMES – AFRICA, AMERICA AND EUROPE” Collective. Collection of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo – MASP. Traveling exhibition at Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in Rio de Janeiro/RJ February/April. Belo Horizonte-BH April/June. Brasília July/September, Brazil
2016
– “Sideral”, Galeria Leme, São Paulo, Brazil
– MAR-Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Prêmio Diário Contemporâneo de Fotografia”, Museu Casa das 11 Janelas, Belém, Brazil
– “Histórias da Infância”, MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, São Paulo, Brazil
2015
– “Ofício Luminoso”, SESC Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
– “XVI Prêmio Arte Na Escola Cidadã”, Sesc Consolação. São Paulo, Brazil
– “Tributo À Última Lâmpada”, Arte Pará 2015, Museu Histórico do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brasil
– “Gestos, Relatos, Escritas e Autoficções”, curated by Mariano Klautau Filho, CâmeraSete – Casa da Fotografia, Belo Horizonte; 5º Festival De Fotografia De Tiradentes, Centro Cultural Yves Alves, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
– “Tech 4 Change”, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Vestfossen, Norway
– “Horizonte Generoso – uma experiência no Pará”, Luciana Caravello Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, curated by Bernardo Mosqueira
– “Encruzilhada”, EAV Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Curated by Bernardo Mosqueira
– “A Arte da Lembrança – a Saudade na Fotografia Brasileira”, Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, Brazil
2014
– “Pororoca”, MAR, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Retumbante Natureza Humanizada”, Sesc Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil
2013
– “Biennial MASP/Pirelli de Fotografia”, MASP, São Paulo, Brazil
2012
– “Amazônia Ciclos de Modernidade”, CCBB, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “O Elogio da Vertigem”, Maison Européene de la Photographie, Paris, France
– “Nightvisions”, Galeria Leme, São Paulo, Brazil
2010
– “Percurso do Olhar”, Museu Casa das 11 Janelas, Belém, Brazil
2009
– 53rd Biennial of Venice, Italy
– “À Procura de um olhar”, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
2007
– “Panorama da Arte Brasileira”, Museum of Modern Art (MAM SP), São Paulo, Brazil
– Photoquai, Paris, France
2005
– Retratos Amazônicos, Museum of Modern Art (MAM SP), São Paulo, Brazil
– Arraial da Luz, Belém, Brazil
Main Collections
– Museum of Modern Art (MAM SP), São Paulo, Brazil
– Museum of Modern Art (MAM RJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– Museu Casa das 11 Janelas, Belém, Brazil
– Museum of Art of Rio (MAR), Brazil
– Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
– Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
– Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP, São Paulo, Brazil
– Coleção Pirelli/ Masp de Fotografia, São Paulo, Brazil
– Centre Culturel Les Chiroux, Belgium
– Perez Art Museum, Miami, USA
Awards
– Prêmio Chico Albuquerque de Fotografia, Ceará, 2019
– Bolsa Rumos Itaú Cultural, 2018
– Situações Brasília 2014 – Prêmio de Arte Contemporânea
– Prêmio APCA – Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte. Melhor Exposição de Fotografia 2014.
– Prêmio Marcantonio Vilaça, Funarte, 2009.
– 14° Salão da Bahia, 2008.
– Prêmio Porto Seguro de Fotografia, Categoria Brasil, 2003.
– Nikon Photo Contest International, Japão, 2000-2001.
– The Leopold Godowsky Jr Color Photography Awards, Estados Unidos, 1990.
– 4º Salão FINEP de Fotojornalismo, 1999.
– Bolsa Vitae de Artes, Concurso Nacional, Fundação Vitae, 1996.
– Prêmio Marc Ferrez, Instituto Nacional da Fotografia, Funarte, 1988.
– VII Salão Nacional de Artes Plásticas. Funarte, 1985.
– Salão Arte Pará, Premiado em 1985, 1987 e 1988.
