Renata Felinto

Afro-diasporic woman and mother of Benedita Nzinga and Francisco Madiba ∙ Visual artist, researcher and teacher ∙ PhD and Master in Visual Arts from the Institute of Arts of UNESP and specialist in Curatorship and Education in Art Museums from the Museum of Contemporary Art of USP. Visual artist and adjunct professor of URCA/CE, in which she composed the Scientific Research Committee, the coordination of the Degree Course in Visual Arts and the PIBID subproject. She is leader of the Research Group NZINGA – New (Inter)National Ziriguiduns Generated in Art that in 2021 participated in the Territorial Project Re-connecxiones under the curatorship of Catarina Duncan and subsidies from MoMA. She is a professor in the Graduate Program of the Professional Master of Arts at URCA/CE and in the Specialization Course in Cultural Management.

She composed the editorial board of the Journal O Menelick 2º act and composes the national editorial board of the APOTHEKE Journal of the Study Group APOTHEKE Painting Studio, of the Graduate Program in Visual Arts of the State University of Santa Catarina (PPGAV/UDESC). She is part of the scientific committee of the Congress of CSO of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon ∙ She coordinated the Education Center of the Afro-Brazil Museum ∙ Curator of the 15ªBienal Naifs do Brasil ∙ Curator of the Educative of the 15ªBienal Naifs do Brasil. She is also assistant curator of the Instituto Oficina de Cerâmica Francisco Brennand.

She recently participated in the exhibitions FIAC/France (2017) ∙ Negros Indícios, at Caixa Cultural/SP (2017) ∙ Diálogos Ausentes, at Itaú Cultural/SP and Galpão Bela Maré/RJ (2016/2017) ∙ Histórias Afro-Atlânticas, at Instituto Tomie Ohtake/MASP (2018) ∙ Beethoven Moves, Kunst Historiches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria (2020) ∙ 12th Mercosul Biennial (2020) ∙ Invited artist of the 29th Exhibition Program of Centro Cultural São Paulo ∙ 12th Mercosul Biennial (2020) ∙ PIPA Prize 2020 ∙ Select Prize 2020 ∙ 25th Anapolino Salon Prize 2020, among other not less relevant participations.

She has works in the collections of Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil ∙ Casa Oscar Niemeyer, Universidade Federal de Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil ∙ Centro Cultural São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil PENN Museum ∙ University of Pennsylvania, USA ∙ Brazilian Photography Collection of the National Library of France.

The art produced by women and men of Black-African descent has been the main theme of her academic research with an emphasis on female making and narratives about these creative-creative people. The academic research reverberates in many ways in her visual arts production.