Panmela Castro

(this page was last updated in October 2021)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1981.
Lives and works between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil.

PIPA 2019 nominee.

Originally a graffiti artist from the suburbs of Rio, Panmela Castro has always been interested in the dialogue that her marginalized female body establishes in the city context, dedicating herself to elaborate works based on personal experiences, in search of a mutual affection from those that have been through similar experiences. Her work has been exhibited in museums around the world, such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and is part of important collections. A survivor of domestic violence, Panmela has been developing art and education projects for nearly 20 years to raise awareness about women’s rights, especially through Rede NAMI – an association created by her.

Site: panmelacastro.com

Video produced by Do Rio Filmes exclusively for PIPA Prize 2019:

Artworks

Biography

Panmela Castro (Rio de Janeiro, 1981) is a visual artist with a master’s degree in contemporary artistic processes by the Arts Institute at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and a bachelor’s degree in Painting from the Fine Arts School at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), whose marginalized background was the ignite of her practice. Interested in painting and performance, she dedicates herself to thinking about confessional works related to personal experiences of violence and imprisonment of binary and heteronormative thinking. Her production goes beyond photography, video, objects, sculptures and participative installations, as well as her world-renowned murals.

Author of a confessional work, Panmela grew up as an artist and developed her background based on marginal experiences in the Rio suburbs, such as graffiti, funk dances and train surfing. Thus, she became interested in the dialogue that her body, seen as female, established with the city, dedicating herself to building works based on her experiences, in search of a reciprocal affection with the other with a similar experience. The core of the artist’s concerns is described by her as “alterity and belonging: the work is always about love, about the relationship with the other, it is about my existence experienced through the existence of the other”.

The artist has carried out art projects in cities in Brazil, United States, England, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Israel, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia and others. She exhibited her work in museums such as Stedelijk in Amsterdam and MUBE (Museum of Brazilian Sculpture) in São Paulo. Her works are part of collections such as those of the United Nations, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington DC, the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, the Museu da República in Rio de Janeiro and the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília.

In 2017, she painted the Femme Maison mural for the Frestas Trienal de Artes by the invitation of curator Daniela Labra. The mural was inspired by the artist’s painting that is part of the collection of the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin; it shows two female heads intertwined by a flower, which, accused of representing a vagina, scandalized part of the city’s conservatives. For 7 minutes, Pastor Luis Santos delivered a set of outdated criticisms (Panmela incorporated the video of the speech as her work) leading the public ministry to file a lawsuit against SESC Sorocaba, which was forced to erase the painting at the end of the Triennal. The case became known as one of the first episodes of the wave of art censorship, as happened to the Queer Museum and the performance “La Bête” at MAM.

Panmela Castro was raised as a “white girl” by her conservative lower-middle-class family in the suburb of Rio. Her mother, Dona Elizabeth, faced a series of financial difficulties and experienced some episodes of domestic violence with her first husband, until she decided to run away and remarry another man, who gave her a more dignified life and raised Panmela as a daughter. With no formal education, his new father made her able to devote herself to studies for a while, but when she turned 15, he declared bankruptcy. It was at this age that the artist, still very young, had to work to help with household expenses.

To pay her bills and studies, in addition to teaching, she started drawing people on the streets and selling the pieces for 1 Brazilian Real. It was also at this time that, using the alias Anarkia Boladona, she became the first girl of her generation to climb buildings to spray her tag. Panmela was one of the first graffiti artists to paint trains in Rio and intervened illegally throughout the city.

In 2005 she began to dedicate herself to mural painting after an experience with domestic violence: she was beaten and held in private prison by her former partner, and this experience directly influenced the political nature of her works.

Panmela Castro has received many human rights nominations for her activist work in the arts, such as the Vital Voices Leadership Awards (D.C, 2010), the DVF Awards (NY, 2012), the Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (2013) and has appeared on important lists such as the American magazine Newsweek as one of “150 Fearless Women Who Are Shaking the World” (2012), among others. In 2007, CNN nominated her as the Brazilian Graffiti Queen. Panmela is the theme of different media platforms such as American TV PBS and the TV Globo program called Fantástico. She is a character in textbooks, art, leadership and human rights books; academic articles, and in other major media around the world.

To bring about an effective change in society, Panmela founded the Rede NAMI, an arts and human rights institution where, since 2010, has invested in more than 9,000 women. Today, the NGO is dedicated to black women, the biggest victims of femicide in the country.

Clipping

Curriculum

Education
2011 – 2013
– Master in Contemporary Artistic Processes by the Institute of Arts of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil
1999 – 2007
– Bachelor in Painting by the Fine Arts School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
2007 – 2019
– Between this years I participated in classes with Daniela Labra and Fernando Cocchiarale at the Visual Arts School from Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Selected Exhibitions and Special Projects of Public Art
2019
– “Together We Are Stronger”, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
– “Sisterhood”, Stockwell, London, England
2018
– “A Selection Of Works: Panmela Castro”, The Stew Studio, Washington DC, USA
– “Dororidade”, Cultural Quarter of Lavradio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Vesguinha”, Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Pulso”, AB Galeria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2017
– “Human Rights Are Women’s Rights”, Green Art Park, Manhattan, New York, USA
– “Panmela Castro”, Pop International Gallery, New York, USA
– “Sorority Garden”, João Nogueira Cultural Center – Imperator, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2016
– “Somos Somas”, Urban Nation Museum, Berlin, Germany
– “Freedom For Women”, Andrew Freedman Art Complex, Bronx, New York, USA
– “Why?”, Museu Bispo do Rosário Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
-“Neither Bitch nor Sant”, J. Walter Tompson, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Nice”, Olympic Boulevard, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
-“Búzios Series”, Galeria Paçoca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2015
– “Untitled”, Wynwood, Miami, USA
– “Untitled”, Museum of Contemporary Art of Quito, Quito, Ecuador
– “Linda, Libre Y Loka”, Caixa Cultural, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Untitled”, Sesc Santana, São Paulo, Brazil
– “We’ve Got Your Back Girl”, Pop International Galleries, New York, USA
– “It’s Ok Girl”, Andrew Freedman Art Complex, Bronx, New York, USA
– “Garden”, Green Art Park, Manhattan, New York, USA
– “Sisters”, Barnard College, Manhattan, New Yok, USA
– “World Women”, Oslo, Norway
– “Elas”, Matadero, Cochabamba, Bolivia
– “Garden”, Haifa, Israel
– “EVA”, Scenarium Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Anarkia Andarilha”, Espaço Cultural Furnas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2014
– “Where There Is Respect There is Peace”, Cultural Quarter of Lavradio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Beijing + 20”, UN Women, Brasilia, Brazil
– “Full Life”, INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2013
– “Untitled”, Jerusalem, Israel
– “Yes, She Wanted to Fly”, SESC School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2012
– “Untitled”, Cerro Polanco Festival, Valparaíso, Chile
– “House Of Refuge”, Edmonton’s House Of Refuge, Edmonton, Canada
– “Piece Of Mind”, Edmonton, Canada
– “The Siamese Sisters”, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
– “La Casa Pintada”, La Casa Pintada, Linares, Spain
– “Transformation”, Awid, Istanbul, Turkey
– “Eva”, Graffiti Passage Vienna, Vienna, Austria
– “Manuela Dragonfly”, Trafatcka, Prague, Czech Republic
– “Piece”, Washington D.C, USA
– “Eva”, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
– “The Myth”, Bob’s Gallery, New York, USA
– “Eat Art”, CEDIM Heloneida Studart Cultural Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2010
– “Mars”, DVF Studio, New York, USA
– “I Am Not Your Jabulani”, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
2009
– “Women”, Galeria Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008
– “Anarkia”, Centro Cultural La Familia Araya, Bogotá, Colombia

Collective Exhibitions
2019
– “Palavras Somam”, FAAP Brazilian Museum of Art, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Ocupação Lavra”, Centro de Artes Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
2018
– “Corpus Críticos”, Space Z42, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Street Type”, Caixa Cultural DF, Brasília, Brazil
– “Marina Monumental”, Marina da Glória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2017
– “Frestas Triennial of Arts”, Sesc Sorocaba, Sorocaba, Brazil
– Urban Nation Museum Permanent Collection, Urban Nation Museum, Berlin, Germany
2016
– “Das Virgens em Cardumes e da Cor das Auras”, Museu Bispo Rosário Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Somos Todos Clarice”, Galeria do Lago, Museu da República, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”We’re All Connected”, Urban Nation Museum, Berlin, Germany
– “Gentileza – The Yellow-Green of Rio”, Parque das Ruínas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Synopsis of an Urban Menoir”, Andrew Freedman Complex, New York, USA
2015
– “Multiple IN-Common”, A7ma Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Beijing + 20 in Graffiti”, UN Women, Brasília, Brazil
– “Casa Fenomenal”, Nike, Utopia Warehouse, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2014
– “ArtRua Festival”, Instituto Rua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Calle Libre”, Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2013
– “Graffiti, The Color of the Streets”, UNIRIO Galleries, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “V Multigrab Expo Shapes”, Urban Arts Shed Hélio g. Pellegrino, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Story Told By Them”, SESC School, Sesc Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2012
– “Optimistic”, Chimkowe Art Gallery, Santiago, Chile
2011
– “The C.O.P guide to Etiquette”, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin, Germany
– “Toyart International Exhibition”, Brazilian Sculpture Museum (MUBE), São Paulo, Brazil
– “Summer of Culture”, Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “ArtRua Festival”, Instituto Rua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Cor de Rosa Choque”, Centro Cultural CEDIM Heloneida Studart, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– III Multigrab Expo Shapes , Galpão das Artes Urbanas Hélio g. Pellegrino, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2010
– ” Bienal Internacional Graffiti Fine Art , Sculpture Brazilian Museum (MUBE), São Paulo, Brazil
– “Graffiti”, Galeria do BNDES, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Poster Art International Festival”, Centro Cultural da Justiça, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “The Art Whino Art Gallery”, Washington DC, USA
– “Zona Oculta”, Sesc Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Zona Oculta”, Centro Cultural CEDIM Heloneida Studart., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2009
– “3rd Meeting of Paulista Hip Hop”, Memorial da América Latina, São Paulo, Brazil
– “Movimento Periférico”, Sesc Caxias, Sesc Niterói and Sesc Madureira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008
– “Banknotes”, Us and Them Gallery, Toronto, Canada
– “1st International Graffiti Biennial of Belo Horizonte”, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2007
– “Das e sobre as ruas”, Sesc de Madureira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “De Portinari ao Graffiti”, Sesc Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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