Cybèle Varela
Encyclopedia
Cybèle Varela, is a Brazilian mixed-media artist currently based in Europe. She is a painter, video artist, and photographer.
.
She began her career as a painter and sculptor, winning the Young Contemporary Art Prize at the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of São Paulo
in 1967 with the triptych
: "Of all that could have been, but that wasn’t". The same year she exhibited for the first time at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial
.
Varela was awarded a scholarship by the French government to study in Paris at the Ecole du Louvre
in 1968-69. In 1971-72 she stayed at the Cité Internationale des Arts, and in 1976-78 studied at the École Pratique des Hautes Études
.
The French art critic Pierre Restany
wrote “Cybèle Varela does not paint landscapes. The utter commonplace of the mirror-image is for her nothing but a pretext”.
In Geneva in the 1980s, her work focussed on themes from nature, in the 1990s it became more figurative
, augmented with photography, digital printing and video, and since 2000 has moved towards pop surrealism.
In 1997, the Brazilian Government donated one of her paintings to the United Nations.
Career
From 1962 to 1966, Cybèle Varela studied visual arts at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
She began her career as a painter and sculptor, winning the Young Contemporary Art Prize at the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of São Paulo
Museum of Contemporary Art, University of São Paulo
The Museum of Contemporary Art, University of São Paulo is a contemporary art museum located in the main campus of the University of São Paulo, in São Paulo, Brazil, and in Ibirapuera Park, in the same city.The museum was inaugurated in 1963, when the Brazilian industrialist and art collector...
in 1967 with the triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
: "Of all that could have been, but that wasn’t". The same year she exhibited for the first time at the Sao Paulo Art Biennial
São Paulo Art Biennial
The São Paulo Art Biennial was founded in 1951 and has been held every two years since. It is the second oldest art biennial in the world after the Venice Biennial , which serves as its role model....
.
Varela was awarded a scholarship by the French government to study in Paris at the Ecole du Louvre
École du Louvre
The École du Louvre is an institution of higher education and French Grande École located in the Aile de Flore of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France, and is dedicated to the study of archaeology, art history, anthropology and epigraphy....
in 1968-69. In 1971-72 she stayed at the Cité Internationale des Arts, and in 1976-78 studied at the École Pratique des Hautes Études
École pratique des hautes études
The École pratique des hautes études is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions....
.
The French art critic Pierre Restany
Pierre Restany
Pierre Restany , was an internationally known French art critic and cultural philosopher.Restany was born in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda, Pyrénées-Orientales, and spent his childhood in Casablanca. On returning to France in 1949 he attended the Lycée Henri-IV before studying at universities in France,...
wrote “Cybèle Varela does not paint landscapes. The utter commonplace of the mirror-image is for her nothing but a pretext”.
In Geneva in the 1980s, her work focussed on themes from nature, in the 1990s it became more figurative
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
, augmented with photography, digital printing and video, and since 2000 has moved towards pop surrealism.
In 1997, the Brazilian Government donated one of her paintings to the United Nations.
Exhibitions (selected)
- "elles@centrepompidou": National Modern Art Museum, Paris, 2009
- "Outros 60's": Museum of Contemporary Art, Curitiba, 2006
- São Paulo Museum of Modern ArtSão Paulo Museum of Modern ArtThe São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, , is located in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo....
: 2005 - National Museum of Fine Arts: Rio de Janeiro, 2003
- Art Museum of the AmericasArt Museum of the AmericasAMA | Art Museum of the Americas is an art museum located in Washington, D.C., primarily devoted to exhibiting works of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. The museum was formally established in 1976 by the Organization of American States...
: Washington DC, 1987 - Sao Paulo Biennal: Brazil, 1981
- Musée Cantonal des Beaux-arts: Lausanne, 1980
- "Mix-media": Musée Rath, Geneva, 1980
- São Paulo Biennale: Brazil, 1969
- São Paulo Biennal: Brazil, 1967
- Museum of Modern Art: Rio de Janeiro, 1964
Sources and further reading
- Benezit, E. Dictionary of Artists. Paris : Grund, 2006.
- Cavalcanti, Carlos and Ayala, Walmir (ed). Dicionario brasileiro de artistas plasticos. Brasilia : MEC/INL, 1973-1980.
- Cybèle Varela : peintures, 1960-1984: Jean-Jacques Lévêque, Frederico Morais, Jean-Luc Chalumeau and Pierre Restany. Geneva : Imprimerie Genevoise S.A., 1984.
- Cybèle Varela, Surroundings. Rio de Janeiro, MNBA, 2003.
- Cybèle Varela. Bruno Mantura and Cybèle Varela. Rome : Gangemi, 2007. ISBN 978-88492-1226-6.
- Jost, Karl (ed). Künstlerverzeichnis der Schweiz, 1980-1990. Zürich : Institut für Kunstwissenschaft, 1991.
- Leite, José Roberto Teixeira. Dicionario critico da pintura no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro : Artlivre, 1988.
- Leite, José Roberto Teixeira. 500 anos da pintura brasileira. CD-Rom, LogOn, 2000.
- Pontual, Roberto. Dicionario das artes plasticas no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro : Civilizaçao Brasileira, 1969.
- Restany, Pierre (ed.), Les Hyperréalistes. Évreux : Centre culturel international de Vascoeuil, 1974.
External links
- Official site
- Itau Cultural's Encyclopedia of Brazilian Art
- http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.itaucultural.org.br/aplicexternas/enciclopedia_ic/Enc_Artistas/artistas_imp.cfm%3Fcd_verbete%3D1482%26imp%3DN%26cd_idioma%3D28555&ei=X8iNTfKpGoeXhQfb5oG8Dg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB8Q7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D1962/1966%2B-%2BFaz%2Bcurso%2Bde%2Bpintura%2Bno%2BMuseu%2Bde%2BArte%2BModerna%2Bdo%2BRio%2Bde%2BJaneiro%2B-%2BMAM/RJ%2B%2B1963/1965%2B-%2BDirige%2Ba%2BAssocia%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A3o%2Bdos%2BAmigos%2Bda%2BArte,%2BPetr%25C3%25B3polis,%2BRio%2Bde%2BJaneiro%2B%2B1964%2B-%2BRealiza%2Bo%2Bcen%25C3%25A1rio%2Be%2Bos%2Bfigurinos%2Bpara%2Ba%2B%25C3%25B3pera%2BLa%2BBoh%25C3%25A8me,%2Bapresentada%2Bno%2BAudit%25C3%25B3rio%2BSanta%2BIsabel,%2BPetr%25C3%25B3polis%2B%2B1968%2B-%2BRealiza%2Bpain%25C3%25A9is%2Bpara%2Bo%2BTouring%2BClub%2Bde%2BPetr%25C3%25B3polis%2Be%2Bdo%2BRio%2Bde%2BJaneiro%26hl%3Den%26prmd%3DivnsCybèle Varela Biography], Itaú Cultural, Brazil; retrieved 27 March 2011.